Essex Traffic Cop Left Fighting for Life After Horrific Hit-and-Run
Officer Smashed by Driver with Child on Board
Essex traffic officer PC Caroline Green endured a nightmare on duty that has haunted her for 17 months. On 31 October 2020, Caroline stopped a speeding car in Grays, Essex. The driver, Abiola Akilla, had no licence or insurance—and a young child was in the back seat.
Caroline recalled: “I saw the car speeding over the hill and stopped it. The driver said it wasn’t hers and she didn’t have a licence on her. When I approached the vehicle to check the registration, she suddenly reversed onto the road.”
Brutal Attack Leaves Officer Gravely Injured
As Caroline ordered her to a layby and called for backup, Akilla ramped her car over the officer. “Her front wheel went over my ankle, then up my leg. I thought she’d broken it,” Caroline said. She fell back, hitting her head hard on the concrete as Akilla’s car crushed her ribs and shoulder. In pain and terrified, Caroline curled into a foetal position, but the rear wheels rolled over her legs, pelvis, and stomach.
Akilla, a nurse, sped off. But a passerby stopped to call an ambulance. An air ambulance airlifted Caroline to Royal London Hospital where she spent a week.
Long Road to Justice and Recovery
Caroline suffered a flail chest, multiple broken ribs, ligament damage, head injuries, and concussion. Months later, she was diagnosed with PTSD and couldn’t return to frontline police work until December 2021.
The case dragged on 17 months. Akilla was initially charged with GBH with intent but was finally sentenced on 30 March 2022 for serious injury by dangerous driving. She received 30 months in jail plus a six-year driving ban.
Caroline blasted the sentence as too light: “For her, the punishment is short-lived. For me, the damage may last forever.”
Support, But a Career in Limbo
Essex Police Federation backed Caroline throughout her ordeal. Federation Chair Laura Heggie said, “Watching Caroline’s bodycam video and hearing her screams shattered me. No human, let alone a nurse, should leave someone severely injured and drive off.”
Caroline is still recovering mentally and physically. She said, “I want to stay with the police but can’t work frontline anymore. I’m just 14 years into my career, and now I don’t know where I fit.”
This shocking attack highlights the daily dangers police officers face on the streets—and the devastating toll it can take on their lives.
