Distraught dad in emotional plea for witnesses after son left horrifically injured in Edinburgh bus collision

A FATHER has told how his teenage son was left fighting for life in an Edinburgh street after being involved in a horrific crash.
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Dad Chris has now urged any witnesses to come forward to help piece together the circumstances leading up to the nightmare.

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“He’s got a partial collapsed lung and 13 breaks to his ribs on his left side - basically no support on that side,” said Chris, 48.

Timothy Day is beginning his long road to recoveryTimothy Day is beginning his long road to recovery
Timothy Day is beginning his long road to recovery

Yet despite spending a night in intensive care at the Royal Infirmary, the Edinburgh University student’s injuries could have been much worse.

“Had he not run, he would’ve been underneath the bus,” said Chris. “The front of the bus hit and threw him to the side with the force of the impact.

“If he’d been a little bit slower it could’ve been massively different - he has no spinal and no brain injuries.”

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First year Arabic and French student Timothy only started his dream course last month before his world was turned upside down.

Mayfield GardensMayfield Gardens
Mayfield Gardens

"We need to establish the facts"

The 18-year-old was on the way from his Old Town flat to his part-time child care job to help pay for his studies last Wednesday morning.

He was crossing Mayfield Gardens at 7.40am at a dropped curb crossing, close to the junction with Peel Terrace and Bright’s Crescent.

“I’m looking for any witnesses who may have seen it and any dashcam footage - one in five vehicles have that now,” said Chris, a transport consultant.

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“I asked the police officer if he’d verified the speed of the vehicle - we need to establish the facts. It can’t just be a box ticking exercise.”

Chris said the road was busy with traffic heading into the city at the time but quiet in the opposite direction from where drivers and passers-by would have had a clear view.

“He was running to get out of the way of the bus and it just clipped him on the side of the bus,” said Chris. “If he hadn’t run he wouldn’t have gotten out of the way.”

After spending the night in the ICU at Little France, Timothy was transferred to a high dependency ward where he spent another four days.

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Chris and wife Bernadette flew up to Edinburgh to be at his bedside on being told the terrifying news.

Timothy is now back at the family home in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with sisters Rachael, 23, and 16-year-old Philippa to begin the long road to recovery.

His burgeoning academic career is on hold, while physical hobbies of Taekwondo and rugby are ruled out in the short-term.

“The university has been great so far,” said Chris. “He had to come home because his flat has nine floors of stairs.

“It’s tipped everything upside down. He’s dependent on us for everything at the moment - just getting around the house.”

Police Scotland have been approached for comment.