Worthing woman breaks hip after being ‘knocked over by a dog’ in park

A woman from Worthing said she suffered a broken hip after being knocked over by a dog.
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Theresa Massaio was in Worthing Hospital for more than two weeks after the incident, which Sussex Police confirmed was reported as happened in Tarring Park on October 28.

Speaking from her hospital bed, the 68-year-old said she wanted the dog’s owner to come forward.

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“I can’t get on with my life; I can’t do anything I want to do,” she said. “I want this woman to come forward and admit to what she has done. I’m seriously injured, and she just cleared off: not even bothered to hang around to see what happened.”

Theresa Massaio broke her hip after being knocked over by a dogTheresa Massaio broke her hip after being knocked over by a dog
Theresa Massaio broke her hip after being knocked over by a dog

The retired kitchen sales consultant said she was walking her friend’s dog at about 9.30am when another woman with a dog went past.

According to Theresa, the dog was ‘sniffing around’ and ‘began growling’, causing her dog to back away. Theresa said the next thing she knew, the dog ‘jumped up at her’, knocking her onto the concrete path.

Theresa claimed the owner said ‘you’re all right’ and tried to ‘drag me up by the arms’ before a man came over and said not to move her.

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Theresa, of St Thomas’s Road, Tarring, described the incident as ‘a bit of a shock’, adding: “I knew there was something wrong because I couldn’t move.

“It was really extremely painful. I have never felt anything like it.”

An ambulance was called, and Theresa was stuck on the ground for two hours before paramedics arrived. A man called Glen stayed with her and another man brought her a sleeping bag – but the dog owner left before Theresa could take her details.

She said: “I was very grateful to them, but the person I wanted to be there wasn’t.”

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Theresa had a hip replacement on October 30 and needed physiotherapy to learn to walk again. She hoped to have been home by the weekend.

A Sussex Police spokesman said they had ‘no further lines of enquiry’ due to a lack of CCTV evidence. Witnesses can call police on 101.

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