Swaffham mum speaks out on safety after son is hit by a car

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A mother has called for road safety measures outside a Dereham college after her son was knocked down by a car.


Tracy Pearce has said her son Jack Crossley was “lucky” not to have any broken bones or worse injuries after the teenager was struck by a car outside the gates of Dereham Sixth Form College last Tuesday.

The accident on Crown 
Road happened at about 3.30pm 
and involved a silver MG ZR. The road was closed for about three hours.

Emergency services, including an air ambulance, were quickly on scene and Jack was taken by land ambulance to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The 16-year-old has a gash on his head, has sprained an ankle and has hurt his lower back.

His mum Ms Pearce said she feared the worst when she was told her son had been involved in an accident, and is nervous about him returning to the college.

The Swaffham mother-of-two, who works for Royal Mail, said: “I had just popped home to put some water in my van when I got the phone call. They told me there was an air ambulance there and an ambulance crew were working on him. You just don’t know what to think.

“They told me he was being taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. I’ve only been there once before and it was dark and in rush-hour traffic - those 30 miles felt like 130 miles.

“He was in hospital for two nights and three days. He is lucky he hasn’t broken anything.”

Jack, who has a black belt in taekwondo and is studying maths, physics, chemistry and computer science, travels from his Swaffham home to Dereham Sixth Form College by bus each day.

His mum said he had gone to cross the road outside his college behind a bus when he was hit by the car coming the other way.

It is not yet known when he will return to college but his mum said he was keen to get back as he has mock exams next week.

Ms Pearce, who also has a daughter, Rosie, said: “I’m worried about him going back. It’s a horrendous road at all times and is used a cut-through, and when the buses pull up together, you can’t see anything.”

“They need to move the bus stop. When the buses pull up together, you can’t see anything. If they move they bus stop down past the college, the students may have to walk a bit further but they will have a better view of what’s coming.

“The college is now calling for a crossing there and the bus stop would have to move to allow a crossing to be outside the college.”

As reported last week, the accident has sparked concerns over safety outside the college and the students have discussed campaigning for a pedestrian crossing.