A 28-year-old Hove woman who was knocked over by a hit and run driver has urged the public to help find him.
Michelle Greest remains in hospital with serious head and leg injuries after being struck by a stolen dark grey Volkswagen Passat when she was on a night out with friends.
She was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and transferred to Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath where she is now in a stable condition.
She said: “I don’t remember anything about the crash until I woke up in great pain in my hospital bed.
“I have suffered ten breaks to various bones in my body which include my legs, hips and vertebrae and will not be able to walk properly for some time to come.
“Doctors have told me I had two blood clots on my brain and that I am lucky to have not suffered brain damage as a result.
“Someone somewhere knows who was driving the car that hit me and did not stop.
“I don’t know how anyone can do such a thing – knock a human being down and just drive on.
“Luckily I was with people who were able to call an ambulance for me and get me the urgent medical help that I needed.
“Please get in touch with Sussex Police if you have any information that could help find those responsible.
“What’s to stop them doing the same thing again and their next victim may not be as lucky as me.”
Detective Sergeant Leon Ryan is leading the investigation into the hit and run which happened at about 4.45am on Sunday 15 July.
He said: “Michelle is a very brave young woman and is making a great recovery despite her terrible injuries which will no doubt affect her for some time to come.
“I am determined to find those responsible and I would urge anyone who has information that could help us with the investigation to please contact us as soon as possible.
“We need to get justice for Michelle.
“We believe that the same Passat that hit Michelle was used a short time later in a ram raid at a wood flooring shop in Trafalgar Road, Portslade, where a man was seen to load the car up with pallets of engineered oak flooring.
“The Passat was found later abandoned in Amherst Crescent, Hove, minus the stolen wood.
“A white Vauxhall Corsa was then stolen from Amherst Crescent and spotted at the same flooring shop at around 6.23am.
“This time two men were seen loading up the car with pallets of oak flooring and driving off towards Victoria Park.
“The Corsa was found abandoned the following day (Monday 16 July) in Hartington Road, Brighton, but again minus the stolen wood.
“We are considering that the second burglary may be connected to the original ram raid and have released images of two men we are keen to trace.
“If you recognise either of these men then please get in touch with us immediately.”
The men were both white. One was described as being in his late forties to fifties. He was wearing a grey jumper with a black stripe across the middle and black tracksuit bottoms.
The second man was in his thirties and was wearing a pale-coloured t-shirt, jeans and white trainers.
Detective Sergeant Ryan added: “Three weeks later on Sunday 5 August at around 11.55pm the Wood Flooring Centre in Trafalgar Road was burgled for a third time with around £900 of engineered oak flooring stolen.
“The thieves prised back the wooden boards used to board up the shop front after the ram raid.
“Forensics along with house-to-house inquiries and the viewing of CCTV are continuing to establish if this latest burglary is connected to the previous two and the hit and run on Brighton seafront.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
