Jesmin battles for life after accident

Jesmin is gravely ill in intensive care at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

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Witness plea as family release picture of injured girl

A DISTRAUGHT family has released a picture of a schoolgirl fighting for her life in hospital to motivate witnesses to a horrific accident to come forward.

Fourteen-year-old Jesmin Begum was in collision with a lorry as she crossed Broadway in Chadderton on her way to Radclyffe School for the first day back after the summer holidays.

Devastated relatives hope that by publishing photographs of the pretty teenager before the accident, and a contrasting picture as she lies gravely ill in hospital, it will prompt witnesses to come forward and help establish what happened.

Police say there is currently no suggestion that the driver was at fault.

Jesmin, from Main Road, Westwood, suffered serious head injuries, including a fractured skull, when she was struck by the HGV near to Hunt Lane at around 10.45am last Thursday. School started at 11am.

She has been on a life-support machine at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital ever since, with her family, including three sisters and two brothers, at her bedside.

Older brother Mofozzul Choudhury (25), from Colwyn Street, said: “My sister is fighting for her life in intensive care. She can’t breathe or do anything herself. Nothing has changed since she’s been there. Doctors can’t say what’s going to happen and it could go either way.

“If she does survive it’s most likely she will be handicapped.

“It’s shocking for our family, especially the children. A couple go to the same school and they don’t feel safe going to school any more after such a shocking accident.

“Jesmin is the quietest one in my family. It should not happen to her. I’m really shocked and upset.”

He added: “Any other witnesses who saw the accident, if they could come forward and inform the police.”

He is concerned that there were no one helping children to cross Broadway.

Mr Choudhury said: “Broadway is a dual carriageway. How can they not have a lollipop lady there? If there was someone there that would have been better and may have prevented the accident.”

Radclyffe deputy head Susan Webb said the school has used lollipop ladies and gentlemen in the past but currently doesn’t have one as there is a lack of people applying to Oldham Council for the jobs.

She said it is a difficult place to cross and senior staff have been helping pupils across the road at home time and have asked older students to assist younger pupils.

She added: “Every one of our students have asked about how she is. We are all wishing, hoping and praying she will make a full recovery.”

Special assemblies on road safety are held as a matter of course and have been focused on since the accident, while staff have been supporting her friends and family.

Witnesses should call the Road Policing Unit on 0161 856 4873.