Harry Redknapp tells how he injured wife Sandra in bizarre Range Rover accident as they arrive home

HARRY Redknapp yesterday confessed he smashed his wife’s ankle by running over her in his Range Rover.
Witnesses to the mishap that landed missus Sandra, 69, in hospital said her foot got trapped in a door as he drove off.

But as the ex-footie boss fetched her home following surgery, he revealed that he had misjudged how far she had crossed a road after dropping her at shops.
Embarrassed Redknapp, 69, said: “I thought she’d crossed.
“As I went to drive off, I drove over her ankle, basically. She fell head first into the road. It has made a mess of her ankle.”

Sandra looked tired and pale as she emerged from Poole Hospital in Dorset in a wheelchair — her right leg in plaster.
She wore a white dressing gown with pink stars after being kept in overnight.
Her hubby of 49 years said: “It’s lucky — if the full weight of the car had gone over the ankle, God knows what would have happened to her ankle and her foot.”
He drove her to their £5million beachside home, where he helped to steady her as she managed to hobble through the door on crutches.
Before setting off to fetch her, the ex-Spurs and Portsmouth boss bought a copy of The Sun to read our exclusive about what happened.
He confirmed: “It was a bizarre accident — a bit of a nightmare.” But he described his wife as “fine”.

He added: “She had an operation on her ankle. It went well. So she’s OK.”
The witnesses told how an ambulance was called when she was left screaming in agony amid a pool blood in nearby Westbourne.
As well as a broken bone she also suffered suspected ligament damage.
Sandra has been a regular in the audience as daughter-in-law Louise Redknapp, 41, takes part in Strictly Come Dancing.
Son Jamie, 43 — fresh back from a trip to the US — said as he prepared to visit his mum: “The only thing she’s upset about is that she might not be fit to go to watch Louise on Strictly this Saturday.
“She doesn’t like to miss it.”
The ex-Liverpool star and Sky Sports pundit said of her recovery: “She’s indoors, so that’s a good start.”

A source told the : "She’s had an operation. It doesn’t appear anything has been broken - it may have been ligament damage.

“She’s being monitored and may be kept in for a day or two depending on her progress today. The bang on the head is said to be superficial damage, nothing serious.

“Harry is low but relieved as it could have been worse - apparently she fell in a bus lane and obviously it could have been worse had a bus been coming at the time.”

Witnesses to the Bournemouth accident told how Sandra lay screaming with agony as she was dragged along the road by his car in the freak accident.

Horrified onlookers said the ex-Premier League boss, 69, was dropping her off at the shops, but her coat got trapped in the door and her foot was still in the Range Rover’s footwell as it pulled away.

Witnesses said she was sat up and conscious when an ambulance arrived at the scene.

A local shopkeeper said: "I was told he pulled up to let his wife out but before she had completely got out, he went to pull away and she fell over, hitting her head on the floor and breaking her ankle.

"He moved his car out of the way so the ambulance could get to her and then he got in the ambulance with her but I didn't see what happened after that.

"Everyone was talking about it, at first people thought he had hit a pedestrian and then I heard it was actually his wife."

An eyewitness who saw the aftermath said: "I saw her in the road and it looked like her leg had gotten trapped in the car. I think she hit her head as there was a fair bit of blood on the ground.

"Someone from Boots went out to help with first aid until the ambulance arrived."

Another member of the public said: "I saw her sitting on the ground and a policeman was with her, while another officer was holding up the traffic.

"She was sitting up and it didn't look as if it was anything too serious but she was taken into an ambulance."

Sandra, also 69, yelled out in pain and Harry slammed on the brakes — but not before her foot had been seriously injured and she was bleeding heavily.

One local said: “I was in a shop and a couple of people came in and said, ‘Crikey, there’s a lady who’s been dragged along the road’.

“Then someone else came in and said it was Harry Redknapp who had just dropped his wife off.

“I heard as he drove off she got her coat caught in the door. She was dragged along the road before he realised.

“I think she has been badly injured.”

There was a lot of blood on the tarmac and Harry was beside himself

One witness said: “There was a lot of blood on the tarmac and Harry was beside himself.

“It was just a freak accident.”

Another shopper said: “I was told Harry pulled up to let his wife out but before she had completely got out, he went to pull away and she fell over.

“He moved his car out of the way so the ambulance could get to her and then he got in the ambulance with her.

“Everyone was talking about it, at first people thought he had hit a pedestrian and then I heard it was actually his wife.”

A shopkeeper said: “A customer said he had run over his wife’s foot.

“I heard Harry was driving and he accidentally ran her over when she got out.”

Others told how the former ­Tottenham, West Ham, Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth boss looked shaken as he cared for his stricken wife until an ambulance arrived.

A shop worker said: “I didn’t witness what happened, only the aftermath.

“Harry was up on his feet on his phone when I glanced out.

“It was his wife who was on the ground.

“She was put in the ambulance.”

Hours later the spot on the Bournemouth street where the accident ­happened was heavily stained with blood.

Sandra, who has been in the audience on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing cheering on daughter-in-law Louise, needed surgery on her injured foot.

Harry was last night at her ­bedside as she recovered.

He had dropped his wife in Westbourne, about four miles from the couple’s £5million home in the exclusive Sandbanks area of Poole.

The Redknapps are well known in the area and regularly shop there.

A friend of Harry, father of ex-England star and Sky Sports pundit Jamie, said last night: “Sandra did have an accident and was taken to hospital where she had an op.

“It’s a long story, but she should be OK.”

A source close to the Redknapp family added: “Sandra is in hospital but she’s fine.

“It’s a private family matter.”

A South Western Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called at 11.49am to Poole Road, in Bournemouth.

“There was one female casualty in her 60s.

“She had a foot injury and has been taken into hospital.”

In 1990, Harry suffered serious injuries in a crash near Rome which killed friend Brian Tiler.

The pair, who were at the Italia 90 World Cup, were in a minibus that was hit by a car.

Three young Italians also died.

Brian was a former AFC Bournemouth managing director.

The two men became friends when Harry managed the club.

Harry, speaking about his memories of the crash a few years ago, said: “I remember stopping to chat with some Ireland fans — we’d been to see them play Italy.

“After that, I just got back on the bus and fell asleep.

“Brian was sitting next to me.

“The next thing I remember is waking up in hospital.”