Back on his bike: Schoolboy hails the surgeons who rebuilt his face after horror accident caused by dazzle and run driver
Teen tells of horror crash as mum tells of anger at motorist
A schoolboy who suffered shocking injuries after smashing head-first through a car window has hailed the skilled surgeons responsible for reconstructing his face.
Cyclist Bailey Smirthwaite, 14, crashed through the rear window of a parked car after being dazzled by the full-beam headlights of an oncoming car. The force from the shattered glass – five times stronger than normal glass – tore his chin down, leaving a gaping hole and his jaw and teeth exposed.
The car drove on, leaving Bailey, from Dalbeattie, badly injured. Two passing nurses saw him and came to his aid. They called an ambulance, which took him to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.
Despite his appalling facial wound, Bailey remained unfazed by the accident. He said: “I couldn’t see how bad my injuries were and, strangely, felt no pain. Adrenaline must have kicked in to mask the pain and it was only later in hospital that I saw my injuries. My bike was wrecked and I only hoped it could be fixed.”
His mum Teresa, an NHS administrator, said: “I was contacted and asked to make my way to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary but was warned to prepare myself for some shocking injuries.
“Bailey was laid up in a cubicle and I was worried his face would be disfigured permanently because I could see right through into his jaw and teeth through a gaping hole.
“His chin was torn off and hanging down. The A&E team cleaned and stitched the chin up as a temporary measure, until surgeons could put it back together again. They had phoned ahead to the facial reconstruction surgeons at the maxillofacial unit at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
“An ambulance was being prepared to transfer him and I was to accompany him to Glasgow. I realised Bailey had been incredibly lucky not to have severed an artery in his neck and bled to death.
“We owe a huge thanks to the nurses who stopped to help Bailey, his doctors and nurses in Dumfries and the wonderful work of the maxillofacial team at the QEUH. Bailey has healed well. Better than I ever imagined.”
Bailey was injured at the end of October last year and was in hospital for four days. Since then his recovery has been monitored by the maxillofacial team, who deemed him almost fully healed last month.
The car that had blinded him with its full-beam lights was never traced and the driver didn’t stepped forward to help or find out how Bailey was.
“We are angry about that,” said Teresa. “They broke the law by not stopping and they didn’t care if Bailey was injured or if they could help. We want drivers who put their lights on full-beam to know how dangerous it is.” Rebecca Ashton, head of policy and research for IAM RoadSmart, warned: “The intensity of some vehicle headlights can be a road safety risk for other users.
“We encourage all drivers to remain aware of their surroundings and ensure headlights are on the correct setting for the light levels and the roads they are on.”
‘ His chin was torn off and hanging down… I was worried he would be disfigured permanently