Mum’s Land Rover snatched from hospital car park while visiting stepson with serious brain injury
A mum has been left “devastated” after her two-week-old Land Rover was snatched from a hospital car park.
Ruth Jackson parked her £11,000 Land Rover Defender at James Cook University Hospital[1] on Friday afternoon, where she was visiting with husband Paul. The 42-year-old was at the hospital for around an hour to see her step-son, who has a serious brain injury following a horror crash in Lazenby last month.
The Guisborough[2] couple’s already tragic situation was made even worse when they left the hospital to find their new car was missing from the place they had parked it. The ordeal has left them “devastated” – and they have branded the person who took their vehicle as “disgusting.”
Ruth, who has seven kids and 11 grandchildren between her and Paul, said: “We are devastated. We have been going to James Cook for the past five weeks because my stepson was involved in a crash in Lazenby[4]. He has had a significant blow to the head and has got a really bad brain injury.”
Teesside Live previously reported how a 23-year-old cyclist was fighting for his life in hospital[5] after he was seriously injured in a collision with a Skoda Citigo, near to the Wilton exit[6] on the A174, on June 21.
James Cook University Hospital (Image: Evening Gazette)
Ruth continued: “We were parking the car there only for an hour last night because he has got limited visiting and we have to share the shifts with other family members. We were there from about 5.30pm until 6.30pm.”
Ruth and Paul, 44, came out from the hospital at roughly 6.40pm and found their car had vanished from the car park. “I was just thinking, are you sure you parked here?” Ruth added.
“It’s bad that someone has come into a hospital of all places. It’s disgusting.”
Thankfully, the couple had other family also visiting and they were able to get a lift home from them. They phoned the police about the situation and had also spoken with the security at the hospital, as the car would have had to leave through the car park barrier.
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She claims she was told by security that the hospital had CCTV of the car being driven out of the car parks barrier – but that the footage is only allowed to be given to the police. To make matters worse, Ruth only just got her Land Rover Defender two weeks ago, having spent £11,000 on a deposit for the sought-after vehicle before her stepson was involved in the crash.
She explained: “We wanted to get in touch so it doesn’t happen to anybody else. We have been having a really bad time as it is. If they are pinching Land Rovers in hospitals then you are not safe anywhere. Police have been in contact on Saturday morning and they are going to have a look at the CCTV footage.
“It’s like the cherry on the cake, the situation we are in. Every day is horrible – the situation is tragic enough.”
Ruth has since posted images of the car on Facebook[8], with many people sharing it and saying how they were “beyond words” about what had taken place. Cleveland Police[9] confirmed the force was called about the incident and are in touch with the victim with investigations ongoing.
Teesside Live has contacted the South Tees Hospitals NHS[10] Foundation Trust for comment.
References
- ^ James Cook University Hospital (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Guisborough (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Stockton mum ‘on top of the world’ as do not resuscitate order lifted on beloved son (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Lazenby (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ fighting for his life in hospital (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Wilton exit (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ here (data.reachplc.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cleveland Police (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
- ^ NHS (www.gazettelive.co.uk)