Couple's anniversary turns into nightmarish ordeal after wife knocked off moped in "devastating" hit and run
What was supposed to be a romantic evening celebrating their 15th anniversary quickly turned into a nightmare for one couple after Liz Pullen was knocked off her moped.
Liz, was riding her 50cc moped along Burrfields Road, Portsmouth, when she was hit by a white VW Amarok in a hit and run and sustained life changing injuries after shattering the top of tibia, as well as suffering further damage to her lower tibia and a broken ankle.
The 55-year-old remains at Queen Alexandra Hospital after six weeks of gruelling treatment and rehabilitation.
Liz said: "I was on my commute home from work on my moped when this white pick up truck pulled out in front of me, not giving me a chance to be able to stop because it was too close and the next thing I end up in the gutter on the other side of the road, with the bike on the floor and me on the floor in pain. It's just devastating. I can’t do anything much for myself. I have to rely on people to help me with basic every day things like washing and going to the bathroom.
“I would hope to think you have some kind of conscience and would never have wanted anything like this to have happened to somebody. Please, please come forward.”
Julie, Liz’s wife, said: “It was our anniversary. I was cooking something nice, had candles ready to go and a bottle of Prosecco. I was cooking a nice meal and that’s when I got the call.
“It was dreadful because I didn’t know how bad things were. I didn’t know if she hit her head, or had internal injuries. Looking back, thank goodness it was only a broken leg. It could have been so much worse, that is what we are holding onto.
“Burrfields was absolutely jam packed and the traffic was moving very slowly and Liz was filtering on the outside of the traffic. She was only going 10mph - had she been going a bit faster, it may have been a lot different. The truck just pulled out onto her and the rest is history.
“She has got an Ilizarov frame which she will have for at least six months and then in a year’s time, hopefully she will be walking but originally they did say she may never walk without support.”
Liz, who works as a parts advisor at Mercedes-Benz, has already undergone two painful surgeries on her leg and has had multiple pins fitted, with doctors warning her that she may need further operations in the future.
Not only have the couple been faced with distress over Liz’s health, but they are also experiencing financial worries due to an insurance claim which is proving fruitless because of the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Julie is now preparing to bring her wife home, but the transition is not without its challenges as she is now having to completely rearrange their home so Liz can live and sleep downstairs.
Julie added: “We may never find out what was going through the driver’s head.
“Please come forward. This could make such a difference to Liz and I for the future and how Liz can live her life. It will have a financial impact on us if they don’t. We have been told we can go through the Motor Insurers' Bureau but that is going to be substantially less. Please come forward. People make mistakes.”
Hampshire Police has made an appeal for anyone who saw the incident, which took place on January 23 just before 5.30pm, or who has dashcam footage to come forward.
In a previous statement, the police force said: “We are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage following a fail-to-stop collision in Portsmouth. This involved a blue motorcycle and a white van.
“The motorcyclist, a woman in her 50s, suffered serious leg injuries but the driver of the van did not stop at the scene. We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident, in particular anyone with relevant dash cam or CCTV footage that may assist our investigation.
“Anyone with information should call 101 quoting reference 44260035600.”