A teenager who was hit by a car in Northdown Road says better safety measures need to be put in place

Connor needed a four hour operation

A teenager who ended up undergoing a four hour operation after being hit by a car in Cliftonville is appealing for better safety measures to be installed.

Connor Lammin was  hit in Northdown Road on October 15.

The 16 year old was left with both his shoulders broken and had to have the operation at the QEQM Hospital in Margate to put the ball and socket in his right shoulder back in place.

The former Hartsdown student, from Margate, said: “I was walking to the shop in Northdown Road when my mate called me from the other side. I looked quickly and couldn’t see anything coming so started to run across.

“Next thing I knew I’d been hit. I went up in the air and landed on the floor. It was quite scary.”

The operation on Connor was expected to take two hours but then it was discovered his bones had started to heal in the wrong place and his ball and socket were separated by four inches.

The lengthy operation left Connor with 27 staples in his right arm and pins to hold the bones in place.

Connor’s mum Jackie said: “I’m thankful he’s alive and that he is healing well but he still has to have pins removed from his shoulder.”

The teen, who is hoping to take an Aspire course at East Kent College, said Northdown Road needs better measures to make it safe.

He said: “There needs to be traffic lights or a crossing there. I also think the speed limit should be lower or enforced as lots of people drive faster than 30mph down that road.”

Connor is due back in hospital within 3-4 weeks to have the pins removed from his shoulder.

There have been several traffic incidents in Northdown Road this year, including a woman and four children injured by a rolling car in June and a 90 year old man who died after being hit by a motorbike in August.

3 Comments

  1. If Connor wants to get in touch I have already been in contact with the local KCC Councillor and Highways asking for a crossing to be installed there due to the busy residential and commercial premises and many incidents involving personal injuries in this location. I would be happy to help with a petition to get a Zebra Crossing instated.

  2. Sadly this is not a new problem, we were unfortunate to witness an old lady being killed by a speeding driver about 30 years ago. She came out of Tesco’s and went to cross the road, just in front of us, when she was hit by the car, travelling at about 50mph. Her body was hurled about 15M and was stopped as she went under the rear of a stationary lorry.
    Unbelievably the driver wasn’t charged despite several people testifying to his speed with the further evidence of how far her body was thrown.
    At that point we lost all faith in the justice system and Coroner.

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