The mother of a ten-year-old boy who suffered terrible facial injuries when an e-bike crashed into him has slammed the 'heartless' rider for fleeing the scene.
Carter Ralph was left with his nose hanging off when he was struck while playing outside his home.
Hearing his scream, Nadine Ralph, 39, ran outside to find her son covered in blood, lying on the ground seemingly unconscious. He required two operations to repair injuries to his nose, mouth and one of his eyelids.
Ms Ralph described the ordeal on October 30 as 'horrendous'. She said: 'I was inside the house and heard Carter scream. I jumped up and ran outside. There was blood everywhere, all over Carter's face and on the ground.
'He looked like he had been badly beaten up – he was so battered and bruised.
'His chest also had a large yellow and blue bruise where I think the bike handlebars had hit him, flipping the cyclist off.' Neighbours in Loughborough, Leicestershire, helped Ms Ralph as she put Carter in her car and drove him to hospital.
But the rider picked himself up from the floor and cycled away on a Barracuda e-bike without waiting to check on his victim.
Ms Ralph called the police to report the hit and run, and detectives launched an investigation. They have obtained CCTV footage from a neighbour, which is understood to show the rider on the pavement on his e-bike. Other witnesses have told Ms Ralph the crash took place on a public footpath.
Ms Ralph told the The Daily Telegraph: 'The fact the cyclist did not stop to check on my child or pick him up off the ground and seek help shows that man has no heart. It is unbelievable behaviour.'
It is the latest in a series of crashes involving e-bikes and other e-vehicles, which campaigners argue are dangerous because they are silent and extremely fast.
In July 2023, Jim Blackwood, a 91-year-old Army veteran who served 26 years in the forces, was killed when he was struck by an e-bike while putting his bins out at his home in Rochester, Kent.
E-bikes are legal in Britain and can be driven without a licence, but their maximum speed limit should be 15.5mph.
Ms Ralph believes more should be done to penalise 'dangerous cyclists who ignore road rules', adding that her son's traumatic experience had left him frightened of being struck again.
Doctors tending to Carter are pleased with his recovery but believe it will be several months before he will be healed.
Leicestershire Police said: 'The person riding the bike left the scene following the incident.
'Inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances of the incident, including the type of bike which was being ridden.
'Our investigation remains ongoing, including speaking
with the boy and his family, house-to-house inquiries and analysing CCTV.'
