A West Lothian pensioner was mowed down and knocked out by his own car as an AA employee tried to change the battery.
Robert Crichton was on holiday with his wife at Craig Tara Caravan Park in Ayr on July 1 when his Volkswagen Passat car battery died causing his electric brake function to fail.
The 70-year-old had phoned his breakdown provider, the AA, after he managed to safely move the car to the side of the road - parking it on a kerb so the wheel was wedged and wouldn’t move.
An AA worker arrived to replace the car battery - but disaster struck when the employee attempted to fit a new one.
Robert claims the worker leaned on the car and his bodyweight caused the vehicle to budge and start rolling.
The pensioner, from Whitburn in West Lothian, watched in horror as the car rolled off the kerb and down the road.
Terrified it would hit a child playing in the busy holiday park, the OAP sprung into action and tried to stop the car from gaining speed.
But Robert became wedged between his vehicle and a tree, before he was thrown over the car roof and knocked out.
He told the Record: “We were told to stand away from the car - me and my wife. The car was in his charge.
“I was still standing with my wife and he leaned on the car to take the battery out - his weight must have given the wheel momentum to move.
“There were hundreds of kids about. I ran after the car to try and get into it but I ended up sandwiched between the driver’s door and a tree.
“Then I was thrown knocked off my feet and over the top of the roof. My wife said I was out cold for around three or four minutes.”
After Robert gained consciousness, he was still in shock and told the AA employee not to phone an ambulance.
The worker fixed the car battery at the site and said it should get the couple home.
The next day Robert was in agony and had to visit A&E with his injuries.
Medics found he had suffered a broken rib and gave him morphine to administer at home.
His damaged car is still sitting at the couple’s home as Robert awaits an AA investigation and claims it is unsafe to drive.
An independent quote from Lothian Car Care has estimated it will be £3,635.73 to repair the vehicle.
Robert added: “It’s now two weeks later they still haven’t sorted my car. I’m disabled, I need my car. I have hospital appointments, doctors appointments and clinics to get to.
“I’ve been in a bit of pain since. The AA has not been helpful at all.”
A spokesperson for the AA said: “We are aware of the case and are liaising with the member directly regarding his claim.
“As this is an ongoing investigation we are unable to comment further.”
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