The parents of a 15-year-old girl left for dead by a van driver who drove off after he hit her today spoke of their fury that he was spared a jail sentence.

Georgia Addy had to be placed in an induced coma following the horror accident as she walked home from school in Burscough , Lancashire, last September.

The teen was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where she spent three months battling severe head injuries.

Lee Griffiths, 29, from Maghull, Merseyside, avoided a prison sentence and instead got a fine and a short driving ban.

Today, Georgia’s parents - Stephen and Sharon - revealed their upset over his prosecution.

Stephen told the ECHO: “Griffiths drove along the pavement at 30mph and didn’t stop until 65 metres after he hit Georgia.

“He didn’t phone emergency services. Georgia bounced onto his windscreen and smashed all her face.

“She was flung ten feet high, bounced off a wall, and knocked through a small tree so that her strands of hair were left behind in the branches.

“Georgia was two doors away from home when she was hit, and after flying through the air, she landed in the patio area of one of our neighbours.

“The guy who found her told me that nothing could prepare him for what he saw - he said you don’t expect to see that on your doorstep - her face was such a mess.”

Georgia’s parents have released new photos to the ECHO which show the horrific extent of their daughter’s injuries in the aftermath of the incident.

Stephen, 61, said: “Georgia is not the same girl now. We lost her that day, and now we’re trying to get her back to where she was.

“My daughter was on her own for 11 minutes after he hit her and then left. Griffiths has got off with a slap on the wrists and it’s totally wrong.”

Mum Sharon, 57, who has cancer and has been told she has “months to live”, said: “He carried on driving {after the collision}, he never stopped, tossing her up like a rag doll.

“She had horrendous injuries.

“He rang everybody except the emergency services - surely the justice system should give victims and their families some sort of closure? But this has not happened in our case.

“Griffiths wasn’t watching the road - what was he doing? He never even braked.

“ Wayne Rooney was recently given a two-year driving ban, and he didn’t hit anyone. It’s absolutely crazy.”

In a recent Facebook post, which her family gave us permission to reproduce, Georgia, now 16, said: “What a tough year it’s been, the flashbacks are probably the worst memory I have of the accident.

“I’ve come a long way but I have so much further to go.

“Coma, brain trauma, scars, ongoing knee problems, future operations... all of this will be a memory for me.”

Griffiths admitted driving without due care and attention, was disqualified from driving for a year, and fined £500, at Preston Crown Court .

Georgia added: “I’ve changed drastically but I honestly couldn’t thank Alder Hey enough, I am so grateful for everyone that had anything to do with me.

“Thank you for a second chance at life.

“Thank you for your amazing work and the care I was given was unbelievable.

“Three months in hospital. Eight months after the accident I sat my GCSEs and now one year down the line I am at college studying science to go onto medicine in the future.

“It’s been tough, some times harder than others, but I got through it because of my friends and family.

“Thank you for the love and support especially this past year.

“Another memory to add to the collection, you guys got me through this xx.”