A distraught dog owner has described the awful moment a moped rider ran over and paralysed his beloved border collie in a Wembley park.
Now Tomasz Molka, who came to England in September from Poland, is urging tighter controls on vehicles in Brent parks. It is illegal to ride a mopeds through Brent’s parks.
Tomasz had searched for a house share where his black-and-white border collie Loka would be welcome. He found himself in Wembley, round the corner from King Edward VII Park, and brought Loka over to join him in January.
On June 23, he and Loka were playing in the park as usual.
“We were playing from about 4pm because it was really hot,” he told the Times.
“She was running after a frisbee as it was her favourite game.”
He told the dog to run so he could throw the frisbee to her – and only then did he spot the moped rider driving across the park towards them.
Tomasz reckons the driver sped up so he could outride the four-year-old dog, who was about to cross his path.
“She was running, looking back at me to throw the frisbee,” he said. “But when I saw the bike it was too late.”
Loka was paralysed during the collision and had to be taken to the emergency vet in Harrow.
“After a quick check, the vet told me her condition was very bad. She had a broken spine and injuries to her lungs. Loka died in my arms.”
The dog had been Tomasz’s constant companion since she was six weeks old. He took her to his job selling car parts and she was a favourite with his colleagues and housemates.
“What can I say? She was a very good dog. For me, she was like my baby,” he said.
The moped driver wanted to leave the scene of the collision, but Tomasz managed to call the police.
“The worst thing is the guy wanted to leave,” he said. “He didn’t say sorry and didn’t want to help.”
A spokeswoman from Brent Council said: “It is illegal to use mopeds and other vehicles in Brent’s parks and we are sorry to hear about this incident.
“If any residents do see this happening, we urge you to report it to the police.”
Police confirmed the driver was reported for careless driving.
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