Gran’s shocking injuries after tot riding scooter ploughs into her leg shattering her knee at Drayton Manor Park
Grandmother Jane Moran's gory injuries after tot crash
Drayton Manor has banned children's scooters from its theme park after a boy ploughed into a grandmother, shattering her kneecap in a horrific collision.
Jane Moran, 63, was enjoying a day out with her family when the out of control six-year-old suddenly knocked her to the floor at around 1pm on July 22.
The retired power press operator was left screaming in agony for 40 minutes after she looked down and saw her patella bone poking out of her right leg.
She was eventually taken to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, where medics said she had shattered her kneecap and broken her ankle.
Grandmother Jane, who lives alone in Nechells, Birmingham, now needs 24-hour care, regular morphine and will not be able to walk for at least eight weeks.
The park has since banned scooters after pressure from Jane's family, but the only compensation they have offered the mum-of-three is a free day out at Drayton Manor.
Speaking from Good Hope Hospital today, Jane said: "I'm glad they've agreed to ban the scooters, because it really is too dangerous with that many people around.
"But so far they have just said we can have a free day at the park. Well really that's the last place I want to be right now.
"Even if I wanted to I don't know when I'd be able to get there, I've lost all my independence."
Jane, who had a heart-bypass four years ago, was at the park after her ex-husband John O'Riordan, 50, took her for a day out with his daughter and grandson.
She said: "It was absolutely horrific. We were in Thomas Land with the little one. I was walking out really slow when I heard a mum screaming.
"This boy on a scooter came right across the front of me and hit me front on, knocking me clean over backwards.
"I felt my knee cap go, you could hear the crunch, and I looked down and there was a bone poking right out. Then I saw my ankle was going the wrong way.
"I couldn't look, I was just screaming out. The poor boy was in tears, so was his mum. She kept saying sorry.
"I wasn't being nasty, but I wasn't quite in the place to say it's okay.
"The staff were quick coming over and giving me first aid, putting up screens, but it took over 40 minutes for the ambulance to come.
"I've been told I'll be out of hospital by Tuesday at the earliest, and even then I'm going to need constant care. It'll be two months until I can walk at least.
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"I'm 63, I don't know if I'll fully recover. It's just constant agony, they have to keep loading me up on painkillers."
John, 50, a warehouse worker, said: "I didn't think staff could've done much more than the did.
"They gave first aid, put up screens and looked after Jane until the ambulance came.
"She was screaming out. She's a lot better now than she was a few days ago.
"I do think fold-up scooters should be banned there, with so many people about."
Daughter Emma Allden, 38, a robotic machine operator, led the call for the park to ban scooters, but was initially rebuffed.
She said: "They told me they couldn't. They said that because they allow pushchairs they can't stop scooters - but the two are very different.
"Drayton Manor is very popular and I think it's dangerous to have children on scooters in that environment. My mum was knocked flying.
"The fall has really knocked my mum about. When she was taken in, she was suffering shock and we were really worried about her heart.
"I'm glad they've rethought it, but now I really hope they are going to give my mum more support than a free day at the park.
"She was a really independent woman before this. I've had to change shifts around for work just while she's been in hospital, I don't know how we'll care for her once she's out.
"She's been on morphine and we've been told she'll be in a wheelchair for six to eight weeks."
Steve Lomas, head of Park Operations at Drayton Manor Park, said: "Following the incident with Mrs Moran a full review of our theme park regulations has been conducted.
"The review is ongoing but we can confirm that scooters will no longer be allowed to be ridden in the attraction going forward."
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