ONE SMALL STEP...
Beer garden crash survivor defies doctors
INCH by inch, beer garden crash miracle man Jason Renwick edges along a hospital corridor - defying the doctors who said he’d never walk again.
The 28-year-old was warned he would probably be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life after the horror crash in which he suffered horrific leg injuries when a car smashed into the beer garden of the Tudor Rose pub in Dunston, Gateshead, on April 20.
The 28-year-old was told he would likely never walk again when he suffered a shattered leg, smashed hip and pelvis.
But now he has taken his first few steps in the corridors of Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.
“It was absolutely amazing,” said Jason, from Dunston.
“They said there was a good chance my leg was never going to work again, but I’ve proved them wrong.”
Jason has been making steady progress since undergoing a 10-hour operation on Friday that saw him fitted with a replacement hip and pelvis.
He said: “I’m slowly getting there. I’m getting the hang of the crutches, I can get my left leg off the floor and move it.
“I’ll be on crutches for the next six to nine months and then hopefully I should be able to walk on my own.”
Jason was with his brother Michael and Michael’s partner, Victoria Chapman, when he and Victoria were struck by a taxi in the Tudor Rose beer garden.
The taxi crashed into the beer garden after colliding with another car.
Heavily pregnant Victoria was rushed to hospital for an emergency C-section as a precaution after the crash.
Her newborn baby Aiyana was unaffected and is doing well.
Now after being told that he would never walk again, Jason has spoken of his heartbreak at losing his career as a personal trainer.
“I’ll never be able to go back to that job. I won’t have the fast movement and the power, with my hips being plastic, I would struggle.
“Since the operation I’m starting to get flashbacks of the crash as well.
“Before that there was too much going on, but it’s started to come back to me.
“I wake up in the night shouting and crying.”
After the crash, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: “Inquiries are ongoing into a two-vehicle collision on Collingwood Lane in Gateshead that saw a car collide with a wall at the Tudor Rose pub.
“Those involved in the collision were not seriously injured but two pedestrians were struck by debris following the collision and were taken to hospital by paramedics.
“A heavily pregnant woman received a number of fractures as a result of the incident but her injuries were not described as life-threatening.
“She went into labour shortly after the collision but thankfully the baby was delivered successfully.
“A man who was in the pub beer garden at the time also received a number of fractures as a result of the collision but his injuries are not described as life-threatening.”
Nobody was arrested following the collision but enquiries into the incident are ongoing and any witnesses are asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 1164 20/04/18.
I’m slowly getting there. I’m getting the hang of the crutches, I can get my left leg off the floor and move it Jason Renwick