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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Laura Elvin & Damon Wilkinson

Dad was left fighting for life in a Spanish hospital after being hit by two cars on way to supermarket

A dad was left fighting for his life in a Spanish hospital after being knocked down on the way to the supermarket.

Dean Millers, 29, from Gorton , suffered 26 broken bones after being hit by two two cars on a zebra crossing in Lloret de Mar as he walked out to buy his daughters some juice.

His injuries were so bad his partner Emily Clark, 24, could only recognise him by his tattoos.

The construction worker, who was on his first ever foreign holiday, had been hit by a car, thrown through the air and was then run over by another vehicle.

Dad-of-two Dean was on his first foreign holiday when the crash took place (SWNS)

Shockingly as he lay fighting for his life in the road thieves stole his wallet and his trainers.

The dad-of-two was airlifted to hospital for life-saving surgery to repair two broken legs, 13 rib fractures, a smashed pelvis, broken nose and arm and fractured elbow.

He also lost his bottom teeth, broke his fingers, and suffered kidney damage.

Dean suffered 26 broken bones after being hit by two cars on a zebra crossing (SWNS)

He was put in an induced coma and on a ventilator - but heartbreakingly five days later Emily was forced to leave him and return to England with their kids, Ava-Rae, three and Halleé-Rae, two.

She has since flown back and forth to sign consent form for endless operations - and fears Dean could be in hospital in Spain for months.

Emily, who rushed out to the balcony after hearing the crash from her hotel room, said: "All I could see was a man in the road and while I couldn't tell it was Dean, I knew it was him.

"The hotel phone started ringing and they asked if I could come down. It was absolutely awful.

Dean, with his partner Emily Clarke. (SWNS)

"When I first saw him after the operation I was only allowed to see him for two minutes.

"It was horrible. At that stage I was still in disbelief that it was him. And when I saw him, he was a mess. I burst into tears. I've never seen anything like it in my life.

"I didn't expect someone to survive it.

"It was horrendous.

Dean was placed in an induced coma following the crash (SWNS)

"It didn't look like him at all but the only way I knew it was him was from the tattoos on his arm."

The family, including grandma Pamela, 69, flew to Lloret de Mar to an all inclusive hotel resort on May 21.

He went to the supermarket at 6pm for Vimto and biscuits for the children.

Emily said Dean was hit on the zebra crossing by a woman in a car - before a second car ran over him

The first driver ran into a nearby police station and by the time Emily got to the scene, he was being looked after by emergency workers, and she was held back.

The zebra crossing where the crash took place (SWNS)

"The emergency services arrived very quickly and gave Dean 100 per cent the best care possible and we can't thank them enough," she said.

"But while Dean was being looked after someone decided to steal his money from his wallet along with his trainers.

"I was disgusted when I found out."

Dean was airlifted to hospital in Girona while Emily followed in a taxi and waited for eight agonising hours with her three-year-old daughter for him to come out of surgery.

The following day her dad came out to join her, and Emily remained by his bedside until she had to get her flight home on May 29, to bring her kids back.

Dean has since had two more operations to fix more broken bones, and came off the breathing machine last week, but can still barely move.

"He's going to need more operations," said Emily, who flew back just to sign consent forms for further operations.

"Miraculously he has no brain or spinal injuries.

"But he has 26 fractures. He has a broken pelvis which now has metal plates in it.

"He's broken his right elbow, left arm, has 11 fractures on his left chest, one on the right, a broken nose, and he's lost some of his teeth.

"I had a chance to speak to him when I went back. He knows he is in Spain, he remembers being at the beach, but that's about it.

"It's heartbreaking to have to leave him there, but I have to think of the kids. They need me."

The family has travel insurance for Dean's care, but it doesn't cover Emily's flights to see him to sign the forms, or her accommodation and transport while she's there.

She has launched a crowdfunding page attempting to raise £3,000, and has so far £1,150 has been pledged.

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