Worthing father describes terrifying moment he thought son had been crushed by car

A Worthing father has shared the terrifying moment he thought his son had been killed after they were both hit by a car.
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Jason Burns was walking with his four-year-old son, Patrick, along Brighton Road on Monday (November 16), when he glanced up to see a car hurtling towards them.

With no time to react, the next thing he remembers was lying on the ground having been knocked 10ft backwards into a nearby garden and the sight of Patrick lying motionless, at the base of a tree, surrounded by bricks.

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The force of the impact was so strong it had torn the shoes off his son’s feet.

Jason Burns with his daughter, Madison, and son Patrick SUS-201119-163330001Jason Burns with his daughter, Madison, and son Patrick SUS-201119-163330001
Jason Burns with his daughter, Madison, and son Patrick SUS-201119-163330001

“For the first few minutes I was just hysterical,” said Jason, who is 43.

“My first thought was Patrick, I didn’t know if the car had gone over him or if he had been between the car and the wall.”

The brick wall outside Shepherd House, at the junction with Selden Lane, had been completely destroyed and Patrick’s electric scooter had been smashed to pieces.

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Still in shock, Jason said he scooped Patrick up and carried him round the stricken vehicle into the road for ambulances to see them more clearly.

The destroyed wall at Shepherd's House SUS-201119-163340001The destroyed wall at Shepherd's House SUS-201119-163340001
The destroyed wall at Shepherd's House SUS-201119-163340001

Fearing Patrick had a pelvic injury, paramedics cut off his school uniform and gave him morphine but, amazingly, the boy escaped serious injury.

“It’s a miracle situation,” said Jason, who still gets emotional imagining what might have been.

“If we were a few feet either side it would’ve been the car pinning the two of us against the wall.

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“My mind keeps running to the 99 per cent of what could have happened and the one per cent thing that actually did. Just picking the kid up and not knowing if he has been completely crushed, it’s hard to comprehend.”

Both Patrick and Jason were taken to Worthing Hospital, where they were kept overnight for observation.

Jason’s legs were covered with bruises from the impact, he said, while Patrick experienced minor injuries.

He paid tribute to the paramedics and the staff of Worthing Hospital for their work in treating them both.

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While his dad may still be coming to terms with the trauma and sheer relief of their situation, Patrick has taken a different perception of events, describing his stay at Worthing Hospital’s children’s ward as ‘the most fun day ever’.

A spokesman for Sussex Police confirmed an investigation was underway into the incident, which followed a collision between a Ford Focus and a Mercedes CLS350.

Anyone who witnessed the collision who has not already spoken to police is asked to report online or call 101 quoting serial 296 of 16/11.

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