Teenage girl fighting for life after being mowed down by ‘drink driver’ in busy shopping street

A TEENAGE girl was left fighting for her life after a crash involving an alleged drink-driver.

Thousands of shoppers including desperate dads and husbands making last-minute dashes found several main streets in Plymouth, Devon, sealed off with blue tape.

The 18-year-old pedestrian was struck by a car near Drake Circus Shopping Centre at shortly after 6.30am today, Devon and Cornwall Police say.

A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving and is currently in custody at Charles Cross Police Station.

The girl was reportedly flung on to nearby railings and became trapped.

The crash happened on Charles Street, just outside the police station at 6.39am, a police spokesman said.

It involved a blue BMW, which remained at the scene this morning.

It's thought the driver abandoned the car and fled from the scene, leaving the badly-injured girl.

The teenager has been taken to Derriford Hospital with injuries described as 'serious and potentially life changing'.

Her next of kin have been informed and are by her side.

Police have been forced to close several roads while vital evidence is gathered but they say they are battling to keep disruption to a minimum.

Access to the Drake Circus car park is likely to be affected for several hours this morning, just as Christmas shoppers planned to head there for some last-minute gifts.

The stretch between the Roundabout pub at the bottom of North Hill and Charles Church is shut.

There are also lane closures on Charles Street, with several police vehicles at the scene.

The loss of income is a major blow to city centre traders who had been gambling on last-minute boost to their takings in what has been a hard run-up to Christmas for High Street stores.

A police spokesman said "This will regrettably cause significant disruption on Christmas Eve of all days but we ask that the public please bears with us as we work as quickly as possible to re-open the roads."

Plymouth Citybus said "Heavy delays on all services including those serving the supermarkets, please be patient, drivers are doing the best they can.

"Outbound services using Charles St are departing Royal Parade and heading down to Western Approach then Coburg St then North Hill.

"Inbound services using Charles St will head down Western approach to Royal Parade. Serv 16 & 33 to use Western Approach not Coburg St."