POLICE have renewed an appeal for witnesses to a road incident which left a mother of two needing hospital treatment.

Caroline Douglas suffered severe bruising after being hit by a Toyota RAV4 while she was walking her dog in West Auckland Road, Darlington, last week.

Mrs Douglas, 25, who has been off work since the collision on Thursday, said she is lucky to be alive following the incident.

It is a view shared by Detective Constable Mick Trodden, of Darlington police, who is investigating the collision.

Mrs Douglas’ husky, three-and-a-half year old Skye, also needed medical attention after the incident and is now recovering.

The bank worker was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital following the crash and is now recovering at home with her husband, Callum, and their daughters Ella, three, and one-year-old Evie.

She said: “You keep running it over in your mind and you can get quite maudlin, thinking ‘if I had been a footstep or two further forward...’

“I could have ended up sandwiched between two cars, luckily I was not and it just glanced off me.

“I suffered bad bruising to my left leg, all up the back of my thigh, my neck and shoulder have been really painful, but there’s nothing broken.

“I feel unlucky to have been hit in the first place, but obviously lucky that it was not a lot worse. I do not think I will get that lucky again.”

Mrs Douglas has thanked her parents, Jean and Peter Ranson, who helped look after the children following the crash, as well as the members of the public who rushed to help.

Det Con Trodden said: “At about 10pm on Thursday, December 13, a white Toyota RAV4 crossed West Auckland Road, in Darlington, near the junction with Laing Street.

“The Toyota crossed West Auckland Road and hit a vehicle parked on the drive of a property. The force of the impact has shunted the parked vehicle 20ft.

“A female pedestrian, who was walking her dog along West Auckland Road was hit and knocked into the driveway.

“In the process of the collision, a gas pipe has been fractured and it is fair to say that we could have been dealing with something more serious.”

A Darlington man has been charged with dangerous driving following the incident and is expected to appear before magistrates shortly.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det Con Trodden, or PC Steve Dummigan, on 101.