Plea for witnesses to help victim Alice Girard of Park Lane scooter crash
Surgeons save mother’s foot in 13-hour operation
Published: 13 August, 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM
A YOUNG mother left in a wheelchair following a horrific scooter crash in Mayfair is appealing for witnesses to come forward to help the police investigation.
Alice Girard, 30, was riding to work at her hedge fund offices in Hanover Square when she was thrown off her scooter in a collision on Park Lane in June.
She narrowly avoided having her left foot amputated, and sustained serious injuries that will leave her scarred for life and unable to walk until the end of September.
Police have made no arrests and want to speak to the driver of an N-reg lorry and W-reg van, which were both seen in the area when the collision took place between 8.15am and 8.30am on Thursday June 17.
Ms Girard, who lives in Kensington, was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington before being transferred to Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, where emergency surgery was performed.
Anne Lankester, a road traffic collision expert with Fentons Solicitors LLP, representing Ms Girard said: “She sustained severe injuries and was very fortunate not to have lost her left foot. Doctors considered amputating it.
“But after discovering she had some sensitivity to her toes, sole and heel, they thankfully decided instead to try to reconstruct the foot.
“My client underwent a successful 13-hour foot operation. It took her seven days just to recover enough to sit up and talk.”
Ms Lankester said Ms Girard regularly suffered harrowing flashbacks from the collision, adding: “She remembers glimpses of her journey leading up to the accident but then remembers waking up in hospital afterwards. She has memories of trying to sit up in the middle of the road while covered in blood.
“This was a beautifully clear, sunny, day. The traffic was light and flowing and there were no red lights. We are anxious to trace anyone who witnessed the incident or was at the scene immediately afterwards, as they could have vital information to help Mrs Girard’s case.”
CCTV footage did not capture the collision itself.
A police spokeswoman said: “There have been no arrests and inquiries are ongoing.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Anne Lankester at: anne.lankester@fentons.co.uk