Parents Campaign After Son Survives Crash

11 August 2011, 12:00

The parents of a 14-year-old boy hit by a car during an accident in Berkshire say they'll continue to campaign for speed limits to be lowered in parts of the county.

Their son Toby Darrington (pictured right) is still being treated in hospital after the accident on July 25th, 2011 in Purley.

Toby was riding his bike on Roebuck Rise when he lost control and was hit by a car that drove over his abdomen, resulting in head and abdominal injuries.

He was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and put on life support.

Charles and Eva Darrington were taken to the hospital by police and learned their son had a ruptured bladder, broken hip and other possible internal injuries.

They've told heart that the speed limit had recently been reduced to 30mph and thankfully the driver - who stopped - hadn't been speeding. The elderly man hasn't been charged.

"We would also like to thank the kind first-aider who stopped to assist Toby, the lovely family who stopped to look after Toby’s traumatised friends and the paramedics who were quickly on the scene and made all the right calls.

"We would also like to thank the air ambulance team and the police for getting Toby to the hospital so quickly and also the kind policemen who drove two crying distraught parents all the way to the hospital.

"Finally we would like to thank the wonderful team of doctors and nurses who saved our son's life and to all those involved in contributing to this positive outcome – of which, at one stage, we had almost given up hope."

The Darringtons say that having gone through this traumatic experience they will campaign for lower speed limits where children live, play and journey to and from schools.

West Berskshire council say although the road Toby was riding along isn't in a school area - it is something they look at on a case-by-case basis.

Councillor David Betts, leader for transport had successfully campaigned for Roebuck Rise to have its speed limit reduced.

He's told Heart they are nearing the end of a 4-year project to install flashing school warning signs. By the end of this year every school in West Berkshire will have one of these LED screens that flash warnings at drivers going too fast.