A PEDESTRIAN who sustained life-changing injuries when he was hit by a car on a ‘dangerous’ road near Barnsley town centre has blasted the police who still haven’t taken a statement from him ten weeks later.
Howard Broomhead, more commonly known by his middle name Craig, was struck by an Audi on the junction of Racecommon Road and Raley Street at about 9.30pm on February 16.
The 60-year-old was taken to Barnsley Hospital where he spent five days on a high dependency ward. He sustained a fractured skull, two bleeds on his brain, a perforated eardrum and now has memory loss as a result.
South Yorkshire Police told the Chronicle that an ‘extremely heavy workload’ resulted in the delay and that investigating officers ‘deal with the most serious and complex cases’ on a priority basis.
Craig, who was walking along the street before crossing, said the road was quiet and the car appeared ‘out of nowhere’ on Racecommon Road - a route into the town centre which is the subject of a residents’ road safety campaign.
Although the self-employed window cleaner is recovering at his home on Della Avenue, a stone’s throw from where he was hit, Craig says the police’s handling of the incident is the ‘last thing he needs’.
“I was halfway across the road and then I was hit - that’s the last thing I remember about the night,” he told the Chronicle. “I woke up in hospital a day later with my injuries. They were severe but it’s had a psychological effect.
“It was a life-changing moment, both physically and mentally, but it’s the police’s handling of the incident that’s been so frustrating and disappointing.
“It’s almost like they are not interested. I’ve been passed from department to department, including from one to another whose officers said they had nothing to do with the case, and not once has anyone come out to take a formal statement.
“I was hit on February 16 and while I appreciate that police forces have had to contend with cuts, it’s not acceptable to wait so long after going through something so traumatic.”
Craig’s daughter, Claire Waite, said the family is frustrated by the lack of action.
“His personality’s changed and his memory isn’t the same, so the last thing he needs when he’s recovering from such a serious incident is the police to be fobbing us off,” she added. “He’s lucky to be alive.
“Officers came to A and E at first but didn’t even leave a crime reference number with us.
“Every single time we speak to the police - and it’s us chasing them - they say they’re short staffed.”
No arrests have been made and South Yorkshire Police told the Chronicle they are continuing to investigate the collision.
A spokesman said: “During the incident, a 60-year-old man suffered head injuries after he was struck by a white five-door saloon.
“Our officers contend with an extremely heavy workload, including many urgent calls and enquiries. In recent weeks the team has handled a number of fatal road traffic collisions, which often require long and complex investigations.
“While we recognise the upset any road traffic incident can cause for victims and their families, faced with these challenges, officers must deal with the most serious and complex cases first.
“An appointment is in the diary for today and this will go ahead unless something urgent or fatal comes in. The officers will be in touch with the family directly.
“To help with our enquiries, anyone who might have seen what happened or who might have any information can get in touch by calling 101, quoting incident 1083 of February 16.”
