By Gemma Handy
An eight-year-old girl has been left injured and traumatised after a motorist apparently deliberately struck her because she was taking too long to cross the road.
Tamera Gaskin was returning from a trip to the shop with her older brother on Saturday afternoon when the blue Suzuki vehicle ploughed into her in DeSouza Road.
The child, of nearby Martin’s Village, was badly shaken and suffered cuts and bruises to her arms and legs. The motorist is said to have left the scene shortly after the incident which occurred at around 3.30pm.
“She’s in pain and she’s traumatised,” Tamera’s mother Ginel Browne told Observer.
“The scariest part of it is, she was with her brother and the car stopped for her to cross. The driver found she was taking too long to cross the road – so it’s not like it was an accident and he left in fright – it was deliberate because he sped up and hit her.”
Tamera was taken to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre by an eyewitness, Browne explained.
“The same onlooker who took her to the hospital stopped the driver and asked, are you mad, you’re not going to take the child to the hospital? And he said, I don’t have no time for this right now, me can’t deal with this right now.
“So it’s not like he didn’t know he hit her. He just left her laying in the road,” the mother added.
Browne said the police were called and officers came to the hospital to take a statement. Fortunately, the quick-thinking eyewitness took down the driver’s licence plate number. The motorist also supplied a nickname and a cell phone number which is not in use.
“I have been in touch with the Transport Board but they can only release information to the police,” Browne continued.
Police have been approached by Observer for comment and an update.
Meanwhile, Tamera is recovering at home while Browne has taken time off from her job as a housekeeping supervisor at St James’s Club to look after her.
“Right now she’s just really quiet and I am trying to keep her spirits up. I haven’t been to work; I am just home with her giving her comfort,” Browne explained.
The child, who attends JT Ambrose Primary School, was discharged from hospital later on Saturday. Her mother has been keeping her wounds clean.
“He had to have been going fast to hit the child to where she got those kind of cuts – they’re on her lower legs, kneecaps, shoulder, elbows. She also has a busted eye,” Browne said.
Tamera’s brother Jayden, 12, was uninjured but is said to be extremely distressed at not being able to protect his little sister.
“He’s not taking it well because he feels guilty,” Browne explained.
“I would like to tell that driver to have a heart. The least you can do if you know you did wrong is try to correct it.
“Think about somebody’s life. And have some patience – especially with children.”