Injured boy’s parents plead for driver to come forward

The parents of a young boy who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident have pleaded with the driver to come forward.

Zabar Harna and Felicia Covaci made the emotional plea yesterday after their youngest son, Pardilian, 11, was discharged from the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in Cork.

They appealed to the driver to examine his conscience and to present himself to gardaí.

They also pleaded with the people who were in the car at the time of the accident — gardaí have confirmed that two women were passengers — to come forward with vital information.

“How would they feel if I had done this to them, and hit one of their children and took off?” Zabar said.

“They could have killed my child. The child could have died if the car had been going a little faster.

“Why didn’t they stop? I would like an apology, at least.”

Pardilian suffered serious injuries when he was knocked down by a car near his home in Orchard Court, Blackpool, around 9.15pm last Wednesday evening as he was crossing Thomas Davis Street with friends.

The car failed to stop and sped off in the direction of the city centre.

A wing mirror and other debris later found at the scene has been forensically examined.

Pardilian was rushed to MUH where four people who were unknown to the family visited him. Medical staff became suspicious and members of his family followed them outside believing that they may have vital information in relation to the hit-and-run incident.

However, while gardaí are investigating the circumstances of this visit, they believe that it may have been entirely innocent.

Pardilian was discharged from MUH on Saturday afternoon and is recovering at home. He suffered cuts and bruises to his head, he has a gash on his chest, cuts, scrapes and bruises on his stomach and left elbow, and a dislocated left kneecap.

The young boy, who is going into fifth class in the North Mon in a few weeks, said he is still in severe pain and suffers nightmares as he relives the accident.

Felicia said the accident has had a huge effect not just on her family, but on the wider Romanian community in Blackpool. But they are receiving support from the local community.

Gardaí recovered the vehicle involved in the accident — a silver BMW with an English registration plate — in the Shandon area on Friday.

They believe a man was driving and they can place two female passengers in the car. They have visited several homes in recent days as part of their investigation. However, no arrests have been made yet.