By Elizabeth Archer
A teenage girl ran into on-coming traffic to escape a man who tried to coax her into into his car on Sunday.
Lauren Raynor-Dixon, 18, a Theatre and Performance student at Leeds University, was walking along Swincar Avenue in Yeadon at 9pm when a man pulled over and asked her to get into his blue Ford Fiesta, then got out of the car and grabbed her when she refused.
Police have now launched an appeal for witnesses.
She said: “The man told me he needed help, so I went over to see what he wanted. But that was a mistake because I had opened up communication.”
The man asked Lauren to get in his car, but she refused and began to walk away, prompting him to drive after her and try to pull her into the vehicle.
Lauren said: “He grabbed my arm really forcefully, and there was a struggle, but I managed to pull my coat out of his grip. It was terrifying. My heart was in my mouth.”
In her panic, Lauren ran into the road and narrowly avoided being hit by an on-coming car.
She said: “The car had to slam its brakes on and nearly hit me. It was so close my hands touched the bonnet.
“I’m trying not to imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t got away. When I got to my house, I just cried.
“I suffer from PTSD and depression already, so it’s been difficult. My partner had to come with me to the end of the drive this morning, because I’m scared to go outside the house.”