A DEAF man could lose his leg after he was left lying in the road following a hit-and-run in Newport on Friday night.

Dean Cohen, 51, is in a serious but stable condition at hospital after undergoing a 12-hour skin graft operation in a bid to save his leg.

Mr Cohen, of Oliphant Circle, Newport, had only popped to the shop on Malpas Road when he was hit by a car when crossing the road near the BP garage. The car did not stop and Mr Cohen, who has been deaf since contracting meningitis as a baby, was left bleeding on the road.

But fortunately a pair of Good Samaritans, Jenny Peacock and her husband Matthew from Newport, were driving along Malpas Road at around 7.50pm and stopped to help.

Mrs Peacock said they had pulled over to help the man, who was conscious but bleeding with a serious injury to his leg.

“We pulled him off the road and put him against the bus stop and waited for the police and an ambulance to arrive,” she said.

“It was awful – his skin was ripped open and he was in a lot of pain.

“He was deaf so it was difficult to communicate with him.

“He kept signing that he had been hit by a car.”

The 35-year-old said neither she nor her husband had seen what had hit him and the victim himself could not remember what had happened.

“When we drove up the road we didn’t see anyone in front of us,” she said.

“So he could have been there for a while.

“It’s lucky we spotted him because he was lying in the road and it was difficult to see him with his coat. If a truck had come past it could have gone right over him.”

Mrs Peacock, who starts a new job at the Ministry of Justice next week, added: “We were a bit shook up and we thought how could anyone hit someone like that and just drive off."

Mr Cohen's son, Connor, 19, yesterday told the Argus his dad must stay in hospital for a week until it is known whether the skin graft operation on his leg has been successful. If it fails, Mr Cohen, who is at the Royal Gwent Hospital, could be forced to have his leg amputated. He also suffered fractures to his foot.

Connor Cohen said: "We just really want to find out who did it. It's not on, the fact they just left him."

"He [dad] can't be more appreciative of the support and consideration of others, I'm having people message me who I don't know asking how he's doing, and it goes to show that there are generous people out there who have the time to ask how he's doing, and the man and woman who had found him, are potentially the reason my dad is still here."

Police are appealing for the driver and anyone who may have witnessed the collision to ring Gwent Police on 101 quoting log 437 of March 11.