Young girl badly injured by car mounting footpath

POLICE investigate the car which hit a seven-year-old girl on the Whitmore Street footpath on Monday afternoon. TC230408DT01

Police are investigating a crash which has left a young pedestrian in hospital after she was hit by an oncoming car.

The seven-year-old girl from the Bay of Plenty was delivering pamphlets with her grandmother on the northern footpath of Whitmore Street in Kihikihi about 11am Monday when a car heading towards State Highway 3 crossed the centreline, drove up the footpath, hit the girl then smashed a power pole.

The victim suffered a broken femur and head lacerations and was transported to Waikato Hospital. The male driver was not seriously injured.

The impact with the power pole was such that it caused a surge back along the lines causing them to clash near Ohaupo Road in Te Awamutu. This took out feeders supplying the Kihikihi, eastern Te Awamutu Parawera and Puahue areas. It took between one hour and four hours to restore power.