'Whole family almost wiped out' after being hit by car as they walked home in Cornwall
Five people who were injured when a car crashed into them outside a primary school in Cornwall were from the same family.
Police were called to the crash involving a Mazda MX-5 and five pedestrians at around 11.50pm on Sunday 27 August to reports of a collision.
The pedestrians were all on the pavement near Tintagel Primary School at the time of the crash.
Cornwall Air Ambulance, South West Ambulance Service, Cornwall Fire and Rescue and Devon and Cornwall Police worked together to help the injured pedestrians.
They were John Brooks, his son Oliver, daughter Hannah, Oliver's girlfriend Harriet and Hannah's boyfriend Brandon.
They had been at the pub celebrating Hannah's 27th birthday.
Family friend Jane Avis who runs a local Brownie group with Deborah, the mum of the family has set up a Gofundme page to help support the Brooks with hospital costs.
She said: "It happened around midnight on Sunday and involved three members of the same family and two partners heading back from the pub.
‘’They were a few hundred feet from home so you know it was only a matter of a minute difference in time that unfortunately this has happened and it’s really shocked the community.
‘’Hannah and her dad and her boyfriend Brandon literally got flipped over the wall by the car so the three of them got tipped up and thrown over the wall and Oliver and his girlfriend were sort of pinned to the pavement. So, millimetres from tragedy.’
‘’They’re a lovely community-minded family and really good friends of mine and it’s a long way to Derriford hospital from where we are here, a good hour and 20 minutes so I started it originally just to help Deborah (John’s wife, and mum to Ollie and Hannah) with travel expenses, parking expenses because she spending most days there and trying to look after her family.
"I think it’s going to be quite tough for them, John is the main breadwinner of the family and he’s quite badly injured so we don’t know when he’ll be able to get back to work.
"Fortunately mum (Deborah) was not with them as she had been driven up the road and dropped off minutes before. They were not even 20 yards from the house when it happened."John's condition is not good. He suffered a badly broken leg and was operated on yesterday. He also has major trauma in his other leg and is still in hospital."
Oliver suffered a broken nose and gash down his leg but has been stitched up and sent home.
Birthday girl Hannah Hannah has a broken pelvis.
Oliver's girlfriend Harriet has a bad leg injury and may undergo further surgery.
Brandon, Hannah's boyfriend, has a crushed kneecap and again doctors are working out what to do.
Jane added: "It's been a bit of a shock and everyone is devastated. The whole family was almost wiped out. At least Deborah wasn't there so she can look after them all as she recovers."
A 22-year-old man, who was uninjured in the incident, was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs and has been released on bail until 28 Nov.