Dad claims injured son, 14, was 'targeted' in hit and run over £3k electric bike (original) (raw)

'I want everyone to see this picture of my son, 14, after thieves hit with car in act of revenge'

WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES Israel Price, 14, was left with a dented skull, a split chin, cuts across his body and a badly damaged right eye after being hit by a car

A dad whose son suffered a dented skull in a hit-and-a-run crash claims he was ‘targeted’ by thieves

A dad whose son suffered a dented skull in a horror hit-and-run crash believes he was 'targeted' by thieves trying to steal his £3,000 electric bike.

Bernie Price, 42, said he feared the life of his 14-year-old son, Israel Price, after the collision left the teen with a split chin, body cuts and a severely damaged right eye. The incident occurred at the Holbrook Industrial Estate in Sheffield on September 12 when a Toyota Rav4 charged towards them.

The dad said that the SUV first clipped one of the boys before 'smashing' into Israel who was sitting on top of a curb on his phone. The impact left him unconscious for approximately six minutes and he needed to spend four days in hospital after being rushed for emergency treatment in an ambulance.

Israel Price, 14, was in hospital for four days and suffered multiple injuries after the incident in Sheffield (

Image:

Bernie Price / SWNS)

Bernie is now convinced that the culprits deliberately knocked his son down in an attempt to snatch his bike. He said: "I know it wasn't an accident because my son was on the curb, looking at his phone, seeing what time it was." So the guy that has done this has gone up onto the curb to target my son." He continued: "The ambulance came within a few minutes. He was unconscious for about five to six minutes... He could have killed my son."

Thankfully, Israel is expected to make a full recovery, but Bernie believes that the incident has deeply affected his son, who is a top amateur boxer for his age and weight in the UK. The dad-of-four said he was returning home from a church service last Thursday evening when he was told what happened.

His son, Israel, had been struck by a car while playing with his brother and friends after a boxing session at Steel City Boxing Gym, where Bernie works as a trainer. According to eyewitness accounts from the boys, a Toyota Rav4 had been following them before Israel was 'laid out on the floor' unconscious.

Israel is a top amateur boxer for his age and weight in the UK (

Image:

Bernie Price / SWNS)

Bernie is now appealing for any witnesses or anyone with knowledge about the shocking hit-and-run to come forward (

Image:

Bernie Price / SWNS)

The family is now struggling with the aftermath of the accident, which left Israel seriously hurt. Bernie, a born-again Christian, said his faith is helping him through this difficult time, but the challenge facing his young son is daunting.

After the crash, Israel's friends quickly rang for an ambulance that arrived swiftly to take him A&E. The youngster was left severely injured and received immediate attention from the emergency department staff.

Reliving the tense moments at the hospital, Bernie said: "He had a brain scan. Thank god that came back clear, but there's a dent in his skull. He's got a split in his chin, his hands are cut, his legs are cut, and he's got a really bad lump on his thigh."

The most alarming concern was for Israel's eyesight as medical professionals faced difficulty examining his eye, worried about potential loss of vision. "They tried for two days, but luckily, thank god, on Sunday evening they managed to give him some morphine for the pain, and they got in there and looked and said his sight is still there", his dad said. Bernie is now appealing for any witnesses or anyone with knowledge about the shocking hit-and-run to come forward and help the ongoing police investigation.