Andrea Lehane with husband James Lehane. Credit:Facebook The woman is a mother of two children aged two and three. Her distraught family, including her husband, gathered at the hospital's intensive care unit on Thursday morning. The motorbike riders involved are believed to be teenage boys. 'There was just blood everywhere'

An image from CCTV footage showing the woman on the crossing seconds before she was hit. Credit:Victoria Police. Confronting CCTV footage shows the woman being struck as she nears the end of the pedestrian crossing. One woman, who asked not to be named, described the horrific sight on Wednesday of the woman laying face down on the ground. An image from CCTV footage of the collision showing the motorcyclists fleeing the scene. Credit:Victoria Police. "Everyone was just trying to help her out," she said, still visibly shaken.

"There was just blood everywhere, flowing everywhere. A monkey bike photographed on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Credit:Andrew De La Rue "They need to do something to make it safer." She said one bystander had jumped into a nearby car and chased after the group of hoons fleeing on their bikes. Andrea Lehane Credit:Facebook

"My thoughts are for her now," she said, after laying a card among the flowers. Shopping centre like a 'drag strip' Andrea Lehane Credit:Facebook Meanwhile, local residents have likened the shopping centre car park to a "drag strip". "Everyone drives way too fast around it, like a drag strip, and definitely not enough lighting at night. She was hit on the crossing!" one woman said on Facebook.



"Too awful for words."

Residents placed flowers and a teddy bear next to the pedestrian crossing where the woman was struck, along with notes expressing support and sympathy. "Our thoughts and prayers are with you, get well soon," one note reads. "We weep for all, we pray for humanity," another states. Another person said a group of children aged from eight to 14 were "running amok" on pedal bikes and scooters in the car park just two hours before the woman was struck. Fairfax Media was told at least one person called the police about the earlier incident involving children in the carpark.

Dimitra, who lives two streets away from the shopping centre, said a group of youths that she believed were aged about 15 years old had been illegally riding "those little trail bikes" down nearby Rowellyn Street, flouting road rules, for years. A centre management spokeswoman declined to comment on issues with youths at the centre, instead saying her thoughts were with the injured woman and her young family. "We have been cooperating with police and our thoughts are with the woman and her family and friends because this is tragic," the spokeswoman said. "We just hope these kids turn themselves in. "It is tragic and it has hit home, the community around here is like a family, everyone has felt it."

'It was callous' Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin, from the Major Collision Investigation Unit, said the bikers were believed to be five boys, all under the age of 18. He described their behaviour as "callous". "Regardless of your age, when you know that you've injured someone, not to stop and give them a hand [is] really bad behaviour," he said. The same riders had played "chicken" with a cyclist only minutes before the collision, Inspector Rankin said.

He said the first rider passed the woman as she was walking across the crossing and then performed a wheelie. The second bike, which was carrying two people, struck the woman. The two boys on the bike fell off, Detective Inspector Rankin said. The pillion passenger ran off, while the rider jumped back on his bike and sped off. The other motorcyclists managed to avoid the Carrum Downs woman, although none stopped to help her.

Monkey bikes Early reports said the boys were riding small motorcycles, known as monkey bikes, but Detective Inspector Rankin said it was not yet clear whether the youths - who appear to be minors - were riding monkey bikes or other motorcycles. It is illegal to ride monkey bikes, also known as pocket bikes, on public roads or footpaths, but the small vehicles can easily be bought online. The bikes have a top speed of 70km/h. Frankston Council, which takes in Carrum Downs, was the first in Victoria to ban the bikes in 2007. Shoppers walking past the scene on Thursday expressed their shock to one another.

"I walk across there all the time, everyone does when they come to the shops," one said. "It's just so sad." Detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit worked at the scene through the night gathering evidence and returned about midday on Thursday. They are also reviewing CCTV footage of the incident. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

- with Cameron Houston and Mikaela Day