A 13-YEAR-OLD girl has had to undergo facial reconstruction surgery after being struck by a car last weekend.

*Warning: This story contains graphic images of serious injuries.

Tina Green’s teenage daughter Dakota, who was carrying a skateboard at the time, was hit by a car in Staneway, Lagndon Hills, at about 6.45pm on Sunday, October 24.

She was rushed to the Royal London Hospital where she has undergone extensive surgery and is in a “bad way” following the incident.

A fundraising page has been set up by friends of the family to help her mum – who hasn’t left her side since she learned of the crash – with the costs of staying in London.

“She is not doing amazingly,” explained Tina. “She had a whole in the front lobe of her head where you could see through to her skull. She has got a broken nose. It was actually hanging of her face and they had to stitch it back on.

“She lost some teeth and shattered the front of her face, so she has had to have reconstruction surgery where they put a graft of pig and cow muscles in her mouth. Her mouth is stitched together following extensive surgery.

“She took the brunt of the hit from the car’s windscreen at 30 miles per hour. The whole impact was on her face. She has a broken jaw, a broken cheek bone.”

Gazette:

She has required extensive surgery for her injuries. Pic: Tina Green

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Essex Police launched an appeal to find Dakota’s family as the force, at the time, could not ascertain her identity.

Less than 24 hours later police has identified Dakota, a Woodlands School pupil, and located Tina, who went straight to London to be with her girl.

“I haven’t been home since. I have been here in London with her the whole time,” Tina said. “I am losing a lot of money staying here but I have to be with my daughter.

“It really is so awful. She has a long way to go yet. She has two bleeds on her brain and she is getting some more scans later to see how she is doing.”

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Two ambulances, a senior paramedic in a response vehicle and a response car from the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance attended a road traffic collision on the Staneway in Langdon Hills just after 6.45pm on Sunday, October 24.

"A teenage girl was transported to the Royal London Hospital with serious injuries for treatment.”

To donate and help Tina and Dakota out, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kelly-tomsett?utm_term=&fbclid=IwAR2Xy36OtKSJv_tFd_3Xj-tVuWzOkgPoWV4uLjekVQBopHHOTM6hMHyZt78