A mother has described the shock of seeing her teenage son after a road accident gave him a brain injury.
Pedestrian Harvey Blundal, 18, of Brislington, was struck by a motorcycle on Bath Road, near the ITV West Country studios and Burger King, shortly before 11.50pm on Wednesday (June 5).
The keen guitarist remains in Southmead Hospital suffering from multiple injuries.
His mother, Johanna Blundal, said she experienced “absolute shock and horror” on seeing her son yesterday, the day after the crash.
“He was on the ventilator at that point, completely sedated,” Mrs Blundal told the Bristol Post this afternoon (Friday, June 7).
Mrs Blundal, 47, said her son’s face bore many cuts and bruises, but he also had a lengthy list of internal injuries.
Among these were a double leg-break, a lacerated liver and a bruised lung, while doctors also suspect he might have a broken elbow.
But the most worrying blow was inflicted on Harvey’s head, according to Mrs Blundal.
She said: “When we got to the hospital and spoke to doctors, he had a massive impact on his head which caused brain swelling and bruising and bleeding.
“They were really concerned about that and thought he might need neurosurgery - but he didn’t need that, fortunately.”
When Mrs Blundal visited Harvey today, she was pleased to see his condition had improved significantly.
“He’s got a brain injury but he’s talking today and he knows his name and he knows us,” said Mrs Blundal, adding: “He’s very, very sleepy at the moment but that’s what the brain injury is doing.”
Prior to the accident, Harvey had been helping to celebrate his mother’s birthday in the company of family and his mother’s friends.
Mrs Blundal said she and her son, who had only had one drink, returned home that night and she went to bed soon after.
Harvey, however, left the house again - not an uncommon event, according to Mrs Blundal, who said he often popped out to visit friends.
But at around 12.30am on Thursday morning Mrs Blundal received a call from the police saying her son had been involved in an accident.
Mrs Blundal said she expects Harvey will remain in intensive care for another day or so, before moving to an intermediate ward. He might be in hospital for a week further, she said.
Avon and Somerset police are appealing for witnesses following the incident which forced a closure of the road for more than six hours.
A police spokesman said: "If you saw the collision or have any other information which could help, get in touch through www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact or call 101, quoting reference 5219125669."
The motorcyclist is understood to also be in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
