Hit and run driver forgiven by victim
ATEENAGER has forgiven the hitand-run driver who left him lying in a hedge.
Chris Harrop, 18, was thrown into air over his after when he was hit by a car in Poynton last summer.
He suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, fractured ankle and a brain injury from the smash.
His dog Skye, a fiveyear-old King Charles Spaniel, who Chris was walking at the time, suffered a fractured spine but also survived.
The driver, Kishnan Patel, 23, from Stockport left the scene.
Chris, of Yew Tree Lane, Poynton, survived the accident and spent only three weeks in hospital.
Patel, of Arundel Road, Stockport, has admitted charges of failing to stop after an accident and dangerous driving at Crewe magistrates court and will be sentenced next month.
Chris has no memory of the event and is determined to put it behind him as he begins to take his A-levels at Poynton High School soon ahead of studying drama at university.
He said: “I am relieved I don’t have any memory of what happened so I can’t be haunted by it.
“It has made me appreciate life and understand what you take for granted. The experience has brought mum and I closer together.
“It has also made me more determined to fulfil my dreams to be an actor.
“I feel happy the driver accepted responsibility for his actions. I’m not angry, but hope he has learned a lesson and get on with his life too.”
However mum Lindsey, a retired nurse, has been left traumatised by the event which happened on Park Lane at August 11 at 7.35pm.
She said: “We had just crossed the road when I heard an almighty bang and turned to see Chris literally flying into a garden up the road.
“When I saw him thought he was dead. “It was horrific. “It’s a traumatic memory for me.”
Lindsey said Chris’s recovery is ongoing.
She said: “One minute he was walking with his mum, the next he is waking up in pain, surrounded with doctors.
“His recovery has been amazing.
“He still has problems with headaches, his sleep and can get a little confused, but brain injuries take time to heal.
“I am just thankful he is alive and still with me.
“We are more than just mother and son, he’s my best friend.”
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