Government playground.

Now Police have told the child's mother that no charges can be pressed -- because the collision occurred on "private property and not the main road''.

Derik Dill, who celebrates her fourth birthday next week, may never walk normally as her hip has been permanently damaged. The accident -- which Police did not report to the Press -- occurred in Shelly Bay Park on August 22.

Derik's mother, Angela, said she was thrown into a daze when the cab driver handed over her child's "mangled'' body. "I had just turned my head for no more than three minutes,'' she recalled, "then when I turned around this man was walking toward me and I thought, that cannot be my child, she is just here in front of me, but I was wrong.

"He handed her to me and said, `she just ran in front of my taxi,'' she continued. "I took her mangled body, she was covered in dirt which had gone in real deep because so much of her skin had been stripped off.

"Her bathing suit was all torn up and stuck in her skin as well. All the skin on her, from her navel down her thighs and through to her behind was ripped off. She had deep road rash on her right foot, her right leg, left leg, left arm and left elbow. Abrasions to her face and she needed stitches to close the wound at the back of her head.

"The doctor has said that the cartilege in her hip joint has been squashed and that it will not grow. He anticipates that she will need treatment and possibly further surgery.'' Ms Dill said her daughter has undergone major surgery for internal and external damage to her genital area.

"She cannot walk, she cannot use the bathroom. It is sad to have to watch, when she wants to use the bathroom nurses have to hold her up and hold a bed pan under her and she cries from the pain.'' She added Derik had been suffering nightmares since the accident. "She had nightmares for the past week where she jumps and cries, she really has not rested well.'' But despite her daughter's serious condition, Ms Dill complained that Police did not "bother to do anything'' until she called for the Commissioner.

Two cycle squad officers attended the scene at the Shelly Bay Park "but my sister talked to them as I was more concerned about my daughter,'' Ms Dill said. "I had gone to the road to wait for the ambulance and the Police never came to see how Derik was or anything. They told my sister that there's nothing they can do because it happened on private property and not the main road.'' Girl, 3, hurt in collision "They never called me, they never checked at the hospital. Nothing.'' she said. "I am upset, she could have died. Suppose she would have died? "On Tuesday I decided to call for the officer and was told that I had to call back at night when he was on.

"I was tired coming to the hospital and going to work and decided to call the Commissioner.'' Police Supt. Gertie Barker was the Acting Commissioner and, according to Ms Dill, could not find a report of the accident. "She told me she would have the officer call me back,'' Ms Dill said.

According to Ms Dill the officer finally took a report from her on Thursday -- some four days after the accident. "And he told me that he didn't realise that it was serious, he said he thought she just had some bruises.'' Ms Dill said the officer provided her with a slip of paper to hand to the insurance company and she noted that the cab driver did provide her with his particulars at the scene.

"He (the cab driver) gave us his name address and cab number but never called to see how she was or anything.'' she said.

Ms Dill, a cashier at a Warwick gas station, admitted she had had to make some major adjustments to cope with the ordeal. Her ten-year-old son had had to go to his grandmother's and her six-month-old baby was with his father.

"I have missed a lot of work because of the shifts, I need to be here with my daughter, but yes I am losing money.'' she said.

Unable to afford a lawyer to advise her, Ms Dill said she had turned to Legal Aid but had been told the only person that could help her would not be back on the Island until the 19th.

Of particular concern to Ms Dill is that her daughter was playing in a public park in an area cordoned off to all traffic except emergency vehicles.

"There is a big sign that says emergency vehicles only so I cannot understand how he can escape prosecution.'' Ms Dill pointed out.

"She was playing on the grass,'' she stressed. "He turned around on the grass in an area where children are playing in a Government playground.

"If this had happened in the road she would have broken a lot of bones, I think the grass actually cushioned her.

"It's her birthday on September 11 and I had planned a little party for her but the hospital have said don't count on her being out by then.

"She'll be here indefinitely her wounds are deep and the doctors want to keep a close eye on her in case of infection.'' HEALTH HTH CRIME CRM