
A teenager from Lancaster who suffered a serious brain injury when he was hit by a police car has cycled 58 miles to thank the hospital that saved his life.
Tom White, 13, was on life support and in a coma after the incident at the junction of Owen Road and Torrisholme Road in Lancaster on May 25 2023.
Tom was knocked down by a marked police Peugeot 308 hatchback which was responding to an emergency call.
Then aged 11, he was taken by ambulance to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and later transferred to Alder Hey in Liverpool.
Celebrities recorded 'get well' messages of support while Tom was in hospital, and they were posted to a Facebook page called 'You Can Do it Tom!'
After two months, he was able to return home and is continuing on his road to recovery, two years on.
Tom did the cycle ride from Kendal to Fleetwood to raise money for Alder Hey and now hopes to do a similar challenge for the Royal Lancaster Infirmary A&E department.
A total of £1850 has been raised from his JustGiving page as we went to press.
The page says: "The amazing doctors and nurses at Alder Hey looked after me and helped me to heal and slowly recover to get back to being my normal fun loving, cheeky, happy outgoing person that I was before my accident.
"It is now two years since my accident, and I want to do something to say thank you to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital as they helped save my life."
A post on the 'You Can Do It Tom' Facebook page said: "Thanks to everyone that have already donated - you've been amazing.
"Extra special thanks to all of the specialists and carers who continue to support Tom on his full road to recovery."
*An IOPC spokesperson said: “The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in May 2024 to consider charges against a Lancashire Constabulary officer relating to their manner of driving during a road traffic collision in Lancaster.
“We began our independent investigation following a mandatory referral from the force after a police vehicle was involved in a collision with a 11-year-old boy on 25 May 2023 on Owen Road.
“We concluded our investigation in May 2024 and established that around 8.30pm, the police driver was responding to an emergency call and collided with the boy. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital and has made steady improvements since.
“Our enquiries led to us notifying the driver of the police car, a constable, that they were under criminal investigation for potential offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The officer was also served with a notice of investigation for gross misconduct.
"We are working with the CPS to support their decision-making process as required. The CPS have requested further material and we are liaising with them."