'The driver who hurt me is still out there'

Nineteen-year-old carer Freya Theobold was visiting patients when she was struck by someone driving a stolen car.

The Wolverhampton university student was left with multiple spinal fractures, a broken leg and needed bowel reconstruction surgery. She receives round-the-clock care at New Cross Hospital.

She is angry that despite an arrest following the September incident the police inquiry was still continuing and no-one has been charged with an offence.

"In my head, that driver is still out there able to live their life whereas I struggle to sit up every day," she said.

"All I recall is being at work, and then being cut from the wreckage by firefighters."

Ms Theobold was studying for an adult nursing degree at the University of Wolverhampton and was working for a care agency.

She and a colleague had been visiting homes of older patients on 30 September when their vehicle was struck side on by a stolen Land Rover Discovery, which had crossed the central reservation of Stafford Road in Oxley, Wolverhampton.

It had been stolen in Wednesbury earlier in the evening.

She has decided to defer her university course until she is better, but said she still did not know what the future held.

A spine operation could be the next step, but she is fearful of whether she would walk without assistance again.

"Ideally the next step is to get me walking with a frame, but it might be that I start walking and I can't tolerate the pain," she said.

"It’s so hard. For me, for the whole family.

"My little sister is essentially scared to come near me because she’s worried she’s going to hurt me and that's not a normal thing as a family.

"Hit and runs are a common thing. It could happen 10 times worse, someone could die and essentially the police haven’t done enough to support me and my family or anyone else that it's happened to."

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and dangerous driving in the days after the crash and later bailed.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said the investigation continued and it was in regular contact with the victim's family based on their wishes.

The force's thoughts were with the victim, they added.

"Our number one priority is to support the family and to ensure that anyone involved is brought to justice based on the best evidence we can present to the Crown Prosecution Service."

Wellwishers via GoFundMe have raised more than £6,000, which she said would support ongoing physiotherapy and equipment to aid recovery at home.

Ms Theobold said she believed she knew who the driver of the stolen Land Rover was and was aware of social media posts from people alleging further theft offences.

It was a conversation she said she was waiting to have with the force.

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.