Woman recalls 2016 York car park crash for new podcast

A woman who gave birth prematurely after being run over by her own mother has described how her life was turned "upside down in a matter of seconds".

Vikki Lane was 36 weeks pregnant when she suffered multiple broken bones, including a broken pelvis, in the accident in York.

She gave birth to her son that night at the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

Speaking as part of a new podcast series she said the accident "ruined" her introduction to motherhood.

Mrs Lane, from Riccall, was directing her mother into a parking space near York's Clifford's Tower in 2016 when her mother accidentally put her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake and sent her "flying" into a van parked nearby.

She was taken to LGI by air ambulance where she was found to have fractured her pelvis in four places, as well as suffering breaks to her leg, ribs and elbow.

However, she said her injuries were the least of her worries.

"At 36 weeks pregnant I didn't care about what happened to me, I just wanted to know that this long sought after baby was ok," she told the True Trauma Tales podcast.

Her son Samuel, who is now eight, was delivered by Caesarean section that night in the major trauma theatre.

"Meeting [my son] in intensive care, was not ideal, not ideal at all. It was all ruined basically, but it could have been a lot worse," she told the podcast.

Mrs Lane spent eight weeks in hospital and underwent more than 20 operations, and says she lives in permanent pain.

"My mother would have swapped places with me in a heartbeat," she added.

"How do you overcome knowing that you've hurt your child like that?"

Mrs Lane has praised the support she received from the Day One Trauma Support charity.

"They took me under their wing and made sure I was ok. They really looked after us in every way that they could have done," she said.

Dave Nichols, from Day One Trauma Support, said: "Recovery from major trauma is long and complex, with people facing incredible challenges that they never imagined.

"We're forever grateful to people like Vikki for sharing their story, fundraising, and helping shape Day One so that we can ensure no one is left to cope on their own after major trauma."

A spokesperson for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the podcast would tell the "intimate stories" of people treated at Leeds Major Trauma Centre (LMTC), along with contributions from the medical team who cared for them.

Mr Nik Kanakaris, orthopaedics consultant and clinical lead of the LMTC, said: "I'm so pleased that some of our patients have felt brave enough to share their stories, now that they have moved through their recovery."

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