Yahoo News Boy narrowly avoided death after he was hit by car - because he was wearing a backpack
A young boy's life was saved by his bag after he was run over on the way to school.
Mylo Fryett, 11, was thrown into the air and landed on the car's windscreen after he was hit at around 8.30am on Monday.
He was rushed to hospital where doctors found he had a fractured leg, a possible broken elbow, torn spleen and a suspected torn bladder.
But his family were told he would have died if he hadn't have had the bag on his back - which contained a metal cookery tin, lunch box and school books.
The boy’s grandfather Mark Harvey, 54, said: ‘The police said Mylo only survived because he was wearing a rucksack which was full.
‘He landed on his back and his head banged against the windscreen so it’s surprising he doesn’t have any neck or head injuries.’
Grandmother Michelle Harvey, 52, said Mylo was wearing headphones while walking to school which meant he couldn't hear oncoming cars.
She said:’He had a cookery tin in there which was completely squashed. And his lunch box which was in there as well was in pieces.
He had a lynx can in his pocket, which was crushed as well - we said he is lucky that didn't explode.
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‘The bag took all the impact. The car broke the top of his leg, and his leg took some of the impact as well.’
Police and paramedics attended the scene in Braintree, Essex and Mylo was swiftly taken off to Broomfield Hospital, in Essex for emergency surgery.
Mrs Harvey said the boy had urgent surgery on the top of his leg to get it pinned back together as it was "absolutely shattered" from taking "a lot of the impact".
Mylo is expected to stay in hospital for around six weeks and his mum-of-three Francess Fryett, 29, said the hospital have ordered him a wheel chair.
She said: ‘I am so grateful her is alive. He is going to be in hospital for a while now. They can't get his pain under control.’
Both grandparents and mum have praised a number of students, believed to be from the Alec Hunter Academy, who ran to Mylo’s aid after the collision.
Mark added: ‘One of them ran over and sat with him and held his head until the ambulance arrived.
‘They were brilliant and I think the school is going to give them a commendation for it.
‘The crash was no-one’s fault and it could have been a lot worse.’
Francess is now trying to raise as much awareness to warn children the dangers of wearing headphones whilst walking.
She said: ‘I push parents to make sure there children are alert while crossing road and not wearing headphones. I would like to thank everyone for support and help.’
Cressing Road was closed to traffic throughout the morning to allow police and paramedics to work at the scene. An air ambulance was also called in to assist.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: ‘We were called to reports of a collision involving a grey Ford Focus and a pedestrian on Cressing Road, Braintree, shortly before 8.30am on Monday, May 13.
‘Officers and paramedics arrived and a 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital with non-life-changing injuries.
‘The road was re-opened after it was temporarily closed. No arrests have been made.’
