A DRIVER was left shocked and shaken when she was in collision with a wallaby which jumped out in front of her in the dark.

Kate Scorey, 19, was driving her Renault Clio along the A20 at Lenham at around 10.30pm on Tuesday when the animal leapt into her path.

She was unable to avoid hitting the creature, and it died instantly.

Miss Scorey, who lives at Egerton, near Ashford, said: “There was nothing that I could do. Initially I thought I had hit a dog and then I saw that it was a wallaby.

“I live out in the country and you do get rabbits and things running out in front of you, but this was nothing like that. “I was shocked to be honest, and a bit shaken up.”

The impact caused a lot of damage to Miss Scorey’s car, and she was unable to go to work on Wednesday.

But she fears it could have been a lot worse.

“If I had had a car following me, that could have easily caused a big accident,” said Miss Scorey.

“I’m sorry that it happened. I’m shocked that there was a wallaby in this country.”

Her mother Sylvia Scorey, who helped move the body out of the road to prevent further damage from passing vehicles, said: “It’s such an unusual animal - that’s the upsetting bit. I couldn’t believe it. She phoned me and said: 'I’ve just hit a kangaroo.’

“By the time we got there it was in the middle of the road. I got hold of its tail and dragged it onto the pavement and then we had to recover the car.

“All the bumper’s broken and the radiator is smashed. There was fur all under there, which is horrible. If it had been a motorbike that had hit it, it would have killed somebody.”

There have been several reports of wallaby sightings in the Lenham and Harrietsham areas since a driver narrowly missed one hopping across the A20 in mid-April.

It was believed the animals may have been living wild in the area since before Christmas.

Another wallaby was killed in a road accident in Norton Lane, St Michael’s, near Tenterden, in December 2004.

Anyone who sees a wallaby, is asked to telephone call the Kent Messenger on 01622 695666.