Mini mows down man in tent

8:45am Wednesday 27th August 2008

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A WH Smith employee had an amazing escape when a car ran over his tent in the middle of the night.

Lee Redman, 40, an operations manager at the firm's headquarters in Greenbridge, was camping in Devon when a black Austin Mini ploughed into his tent.

In a statement from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Mr Redman said: "I am recovering well and in good spirits."

Mr Redman's wife Tracy was asleep with her husband in the Ladram Bay Holiday Centre near Otterton when the drama unfolded.

Mr Redman suffered several broken bones and possible spinal injuries while Tracy, 37, was unhurt.

It is believed the handbrake of the Mini, which was parked at the top of a hill, came loose.

It then rolled down the slope into the tent and kept going until it smashed into a toilet block.

Mr Redman's mother Ann said her daughter-in-law was shocked after waking up to her husband's screams.

She said: "Tracy is very shaken up from the accident. She thinks they may have been knocked unconscious as the last thing she can remember is waking up to hear Lee screaming. He was on top of her and the next thing she knew there was blood all down her front.

"She held his head until the medical people arrived."

Ann said she arrived at the hospital before the ambulance, as it had to go slowly because of Mr Redman's injuries.

She said: "He has broken a bone in his shoulder, one in his breast bone, has broken ribs in his front and has possible spinal injuries."

Doctors have told the family the airbeds the couple were sleeping on may have cushioned the blow of the impact, preventing them receiving further injuries.

Richard Davey, 40, from Bristol, used his teeth to tear open the tent after not being able to find the zip, as the tent had flipped over.

"There was such a sight inside. There was blood everywhere," he said. "I didn't really have time to think. I just got on with it."

Ladram Bay Holiday Centre manager Claire Williams said: "It was a freak accident. It was a shock but everybody has been very good. Our security acted promptly. It could have been a lot worse."

The owner of the Mini, who was also staying at the holiday centre, is a 17-year-old youth from Yeovil.