AN Eden Valley woman whose family pet died after a heartbreaking hit-and-run collision is highlighting major road safety worries to prevent a child or cyclist becoming the next victim.

Lee Wray-Davies, aged 44, left her house in Langwathby at Eden Straits, next to the A686 which runs through the village, last Thursday, June 6, between 4.30pm and 5pm.

“I have three dogs, one of which was just slightly in front of all the others,” said Lee.

“A motorist came around the corner (from the Hartside direction) extremely fast; very, very close to the kerb. If you know that corner it’s extremely tight.”

She watched in horror as the pick-up vehicle struck and seriously injured her blind 11-year-old Cocker spaniel Kim, who was on a lead.

“I just couldn’t move her quickly enough,” said Lee. “I shouted stop. They slowed down and obviously knew. I was shouting quite loudly. They just sped off, went and never stopped.

"Because of her injuries Kim had to be put down on the Saturday.”

The family have two other dogs: Kim’s brother, Chaz, and a husky, Skye.

Lee told her tragic story on social media in a desperate bid to trace the driver. Her post was shared more than 7,000 times in the days in the aftermath.

“Obviously I want to find the person who has done this to my dog,” she said.

“I am a dog mummy. I have got other dogs and I can’t believe that someone can just get away with hitting a dog like that and not stopping.

"I don’t know how they can do it.”

But her focus has also now switched to highlighting worries about speeding vehicles — including HGVs — using the busy A686 and in particular a sharp corner next to her home.

Kim the dogKim the dog (Image: Supplied)

“Unfortunately I just feel that my dog won’t be the last to be hit or injured on this corner if it carries on like this,” she said. “We see so many cars — and motorbikes — come very fast around that corner.

“It’s a young village with lots of families and I’ve spoken to a lot of parents who are scared about children crossing the road.

“Something needs to be done. I’m not a road planning expert so I don’t know what. But it’s becoming more and more dangerous. Especially because there are more houses in the village now.

“There are a lot of elderly people as well. You can’t get across the road quick enough if something’s coming and they don’t slow and put their brakes on.

“Luckily we live on the inside of the bend. We have friends who live on the outside of it and they have anecdotally said they feel as though one day a lorry is going to come through the front of their house.

“That’s why I’ve reached out. I’m heartbroken about my dog and that somebody didn’t stop. But having spoken to so many people in the village and seen so many Facebook messages I think there’s a bit more to this.

"I wouldn’t want to not follow this up and then something happens to a child or a cyclist or a pedestrian. I just couldn’t bear that.”

Lee said she held a productive meeting with police on Tuesday evening as she flagged up safety worries and attempts continue to trace the driver of a rusty-coloured orange pick-up vehicle which hit Kim.

CCTV footage is also being sought and anyone with information has been asked to contact Cumbria police by calling 101.

Lee has also contacted Westmorland & Furness Council, which replied with condolences and said the matter would be passed to its Highways team for an officer to be allocated.

She added: “If something happens in the future to someone else when I have the opportunity to push this I couldn’t bear it and would feel horrible.

"God forbid it’s worse in the future with a child or a cyclist or somebody else.”

Lee has started an online petition aimed at seeing changes introduced on the stretch of road. To sign it, visit change.org and search for “slow and restrict vehicles on Eden Straight corner in Langwathby”.