‘Left for dead’ – furious Sunderland father speaks out after his 13-year-old son was hit and run with a motorbike

Paul Wells, 39, is furious after his son Archie, 13, was hit by a motorbike near Hylton Castle and then left on the side of the road after the biker failed to stop.

Archie was playing football on the adjacent pitch and had gone to collect the ball when the incident happened.

After being helped by bystanders, Archie was taken to hospital where he was treated for a broken nose, a severed forehead requiring stitches and lacerations to his mouth.

Paul, from Castletown, said: “It’s one thing to have an accident, but it’s the lowest of lows to then leave him lying in the middle of the road. For all they knew, he could have bled to death.

“I think it’s absolutely terrible – despicable.”

However, Paul believes it was “only a matter of time” before an incident of this nature happened.

He added: “It has been an ongoing problem in the area with people cycling on pavements and in local fields – if there is a piece of grass they will run over it. More should have been done to solve this problem. »

Confirming the collision, a spokesman for Northumbria Police said: “At approximately 2.15pm on Sunday 8th May, police received a report of a collision involving a motorbike and a pedestrian in the Craigavon ​​area​ ​Road to Hylton Castle, Sunderland.

“Emergency services responded and the 13-year-old pedestrian was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The bikers did not stop at the scene and investigations are underway to find them.

“Runners, or anyone with information, please contact us via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page on our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20220508-0581.”

Paul added: “I urge anyone who knows anything, or even the biker involved, to come forward and do the right thing by speaking with the police. In my mind, those who weren’t involved in the collision are just as bad if they’re protecting the person who was.