Ten-year-old Hadleigh girl commended after horrific road crash

Paramedics have praised a girl from Essex for remaining calm and composed after seeing her mum involved in a horrific road traffic collision. 

Emma Harbinson and her two-year-old brother Freddie narrowly missed out on serious injuries themselves after they crossed Hadleigh High Street alongside mum Cherie Wright just before 6pm on 10^th January.

Emma was surprised last week at her school’s good work assembly by Burnham Paramedic Sarah Lewis and Duty Locality Officer Victoria Thomas, with a special award to recognise her ‘outstanding efforts in supporting and caring for a patient in need’. 

Sarah Lewis, who attended the incident last month, said: “Emma was so calm and was a familiar person for her brother. She couldn’t be with her mum so she took over as the mum and really calmed her brother down, giving him a cuddle and checking on him.”

Duty Locality Officer Victoria Thomas presented Emma with a book token in recognition of her efforts. She said: “She had just watched her mum get run over yet she remembered dates of birth, her address and telephone number, postcode and who her doctor was. It’s a real credit to her parents that she knew that level of information.” 

Two ambulances, a rapid response car and an ambulance officer were sent to help the family. Cherie, 39, suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and many cuts and bruises. Freddie initially appeared unconscious but quickly came round and Emma escaped with minor injuries. 

Cherie, who was thrown several metres, was taken to Southend Hospital and kept in for 24 hours. She said: “I don’t really remember much at all, just crossing the road and the car coming out of nowhere. Freddie was holding my hand and was in shock after and thankfully Emma was only grazed. I’m so proud of Emma. She was so calm and has taken it all in her stride.”

Published 20th February 2015