THE family of the victim of a hit-and-run crash which left a father in hospital are appealing for help to trace a driver who drove off from the scene.

Rochelle Fitzgerald, from Colchester, is appealing for information after her 56-year-old father was involved in a smash in West Bergholt, which left his car written off.

He had to be strapped to an ambulance bed and a neck brace was applied, which didn’t come off until the results of his CT scan came back in Colchester Hospital’s A&E department.

Rochelle said: “My dad had just dropped off our 15-month-old daughter to our home after having her for the day with my mum whilst me and my fiancé were at work.

“He was on his way home to Witham when it happened.

“He had just turned down Bakers Lane from West Bergholt and at the first bend in the road the car coming towards him was going way too fast and hit my dad’s car side on.

“The driver got out of their car, saw dad was alive, then drove off.”

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Rochelle’s dad was whisked to hospital for checks and although scans came back clear, he has been told he may need up to six weeks to recover.

“He has pain all down his right side where the impact was,” she said.

“He can’t drive and he can’t work. His car is a write off.

“The other car was going way too fast when he crashed into dad. He thinks it was a black 4 x 4 but can’t remember exactly.

“The police are involved and looking into this further. They have said the car drove away with the hub cap off so it must have fallen somewhere.”

The collision took place at about 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 1.

Rochelle said her dad’s family are in a state of “shock and disbelief ” after the crash.

She said: “After it happened my dad called my fiancé Luke who went to see him.

“My dad called for an ambulance and residents came out from their houses down Bakers Lane to help.

“Luke then came home and told me. He brought me to see dad and I travelled in the ambulance with dad to the hospital. Luke went to tell my mum and take her up the hospital where I met them.”

She added: “Obviously me, mum and Luke were in a complete and utter state of shock and disbelief.

“We were numb, upset, scared, angry - a real mix of emotions. We were so relieved once the CT results came back clear and dad’s neck brace could be removed.”

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Essex Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.