Crash victim fights for life on 8th birthday

A Telford boy was fighting for his life in hospital today, on his eighth birthday, after being hit by a car outside his home on his way back from a local shop.

The boy, named locally as Tom Rowley, was walking home when the collision happened in Hadley Park Road, Leegomery.

He was taken unconscious by ambulance to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford before being flown to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Tom has serious head injuries and his condition was critical today as his parents waited at his bedside.

The accident happened just before 5.30pm yesterday, shortly after Tom had called in at Hadley Park Stores, just 50 yards from his family home on the other side of the street.

Pardeep Sahota, whose family owns the store, said: "Tom comes in every day, sometimes twice, and you couldn't meet a more polite boy or nicer family.

"Just after he bought some cat food last night, I heard there had been an accident and dashed outside."

Tom's next-door neighbour, Maureen Pritchard, was in tears today as she spoke of his fight for life.

"He's fractured his skull and the next 72 hours are crucial," she said.

"We haven't slept at all. Everybody in the street is so distressed and our hearts go out to his parents and older sister.

"He's a lovely, quiet, unassuming boy. It's his eighth birthday today. We call him Big Tom because he plays with my grandson Tom who is a little younger."

Police spokesman Chris Ammonds said the car was a silver BMW driven by a woman and called for witnesses.

"We would very much like to hear from anyone who saw it happen or events leading up to it," he said.