'I thought he was dead' – mother's horror at son's scooter crash

Seventeen-year-old Aaron Goodall, who goes to Durham Sixth Form, was seriously hurt, on his way to college on Friday morning.

His 125cc Lexmoto Gladiator collided with a VW Golf just before 9am leaving him with severe head, arm and leg injuries.

The driver of the car, a 44-year-old woman from Newcastle, was uninjured, but suffered shock.

Aaron’s mother Gill Goodall, 48, from Peterlee said: “We spoke to the driver, bless her, at the scene and she was absolutely distraught. Aaron said he swerved to miss her but he couldn’t.”

Yesterday, as he was taken for surgery on his face at Sunderland Royal Hospital, his mother told how she thought he was dead.

Ms Goodall said: “Someone used his phone and said that our Aaron had been shouting for me.

“They went through his phone and found ‘Mam’ and used that to phone me.

“When she called she told me paramedics were dealing with him on the floor.

“The way she said it, it was as if he had just come off his bike and he was being looked at.

“But when I came over the brow of the hill there was three ambulances and four police cars.

“The roads were cordoned off and all of the blues were going.

“It was a shock to the system.

“I thought he was dead.

“When I saw the state of his bike I thought there is no way he is going to be alive by the time I get over there.”

Aaron suffered a broken wrist, serious lacerations to his chin and his lower lip and a broken jaw.

He is going to need plastic surgery for his lip and jaw surgery.

Aaron passed his compulsory basic training allowing him to ride the scooter with L-plates in December

Ms Goodall said the collision has not put him off riding on two wheels.

She said: “He wants to get back on a bike as soon as possible. The thing that is distressing him most now is the state of his face because it is a mess. An absolute mess.

“But he wants to phone the driver to reassure her he is alright.

“He is able to talk and he would eat as well if he wasn’t nil by mouth.

“I still have not taken in what has happened to him.

“I think I am still in shock.

“Until I get him home I won’t believe he is going to be alright.”

Aaron, who is studying for A-levels in law, criminology and forensic science wants to be a crime scene investigator or an accident investigator when he is older.

He is currently in year 12 was due to be taking an exam in criminology on Monday.

Instead, he will be staying in hospital for the foreseeable future, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

Ms Goodall said: “He is very, very jovial about it.

“He is taking it all in his stride. His way of thinking is ‘I am alive’.

“He has got a really positive attitude. He is unbelievable. He really is.

“We are just taking it a day at a time.”

Ms Goodall is now urging all drivers to be extra careful when out on the roads. She said: “People should take more time.

“Check three times if you have to.

“Stop at that junction and wait.

“You never know what is going to come into view.”