Police want to speak to the woman driver of a car that knocked down a 12-year-old girl in Greerton – before apologising and driving away.

Sophie Nicholson was walking her bike across Cameron Road near the Chadwick Road-Greerton Road roundabout after school on Monday afternoon when she was knocked down by a woman driving a small white car.

Sophie Nicholson, who was knocked down by a driver who failed to stop, with her mother Erin. Photo: Andrew Campbell.

The woman slowed down to apologise out of her car window, before driving away from the scene without stopping.

She is understood to have turned right at the roundabout and did a complete circle before heading back down Cameron Road towards Countdown/Barkes Corner.

Sophie's mother Erin took to Facebook following the incident, and described a car 'which looked like a Suzuki Swift or Toyota Corolla with signwriting on the bonnet.”

'Unfortunately the two male witnesses who rushed to help Sophie up off the road didn't get the car's number plate, as they thought she was coming back,” says Erin.

'Apparently she didn't think it was important enough to check up on the child she had just hit.

'We have the phone numbers of two witnesses, but the police say they are unable to do anything about it unless we have a number plate.”

Her subsequent Facebook post reads: 'Please share this post and hopefully we might find someone who has more information or be able to jog the memory (or conscience) of the woman.”

The driver is thought to have short reddish brown hair. She said ‘sorry' to Sophie before driving off.

Erin's comment on Facebook has since been shared 600 times.

Following the incident, Sophie visited a physiotherapist today, with bruising on her right shoulder and down her right side. When struck she also suffered grazes to her legs, a fat lip, a bruised cheek and grazed nose.

Officer in charge of Western Bay of Plenty Road Policing, Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, says the driver stopped and asked if Sophie was alright before driving away.

He's urging the driver to contact him personally on: 577-4300 so the matter can be concluded.

'Police weren't called to the scene,” says Ian, 'but it was reported to police.”

'I haven't seen the police file as it's still being processed. The matter will be investigated by police in the normal course of events.”