A TEENAGER was left “knocked out and unconscious in the road" following a terrifying hit-and-run Leigh.

Mum Jeanette Ward is urging witnesses to come forward after her son, Joe, was hit by a "small blue car" which police say failed to stop and left the scene.

Essex Police were called to reports of a crash between a pedestrian and a car in Glendale Gardens, Leigh, at about midday on Friday.

Mum Jeanette Ward, said she ran down the road with her neighbour - a retired nurse - after being alerted to the "horrendous" incident.

She said: “Joe was knocked down on the side of the road, and the driver seemed to slow down to look at him, but then sped off.

“This is when Joe fell unconscious. I got a phone call from a lady, who had seen Joe in the road, to say he had been hit by a car.

“I called for my neighbour, who is a retired A&E nurse, and we both ran down the road. We saw Joe surrounded by people and an ambulance was already there.

“He was extremely pale and had a large abrasion to his head. He wasn’t making any sense at all and didn’t know where he was or what he was doing.

“It was very horrendous to see him like that.”

Joe was taken to hospital, before coming home the following day, and Essex Police have since launched an appeal.

Jeanette added: “Joe is miraculously home now. But he cannot walk very well or straighten his leg as his knee is very swollen.

“He is in a lot of pain still and is very battered and bruised, plus extremely shaken up about everything that has happened to him as we all are as a family.

“Who leaves a child lying in the road? It is terribly upsetting to think about. I can’t even think about what might have happened to Joe if it wasn’t for the passers-by.”

A spokesman for Essex Police added: “Officers were called to reports of a collision between a pedestrian and a car in Leigh at around midday on Friday.

“The incident happened in Glendale Gardens at the junction of Grange Road. It was reported that after the incident the driver of the car left the scene without stopping.

"Thankfully, the pedestrian did not suffer serious injuries. The car is described as a small blue car.

“We appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision, has dashcam or any other footage to get in touch.

“Please quote incident 0488 of March 1 2024.”