Teenager 'lucky' after hit-and-run crash injuries

Corey underwent seven hours of surgery and spent a total of three weeks in hospital

A teenager seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash is expected to make a full recovery.

Corey Russell, 19, had been on a night out with friends when he was involved in a collision in Tudhoe, County Durham, back in September 2023.

He suffered "life-threatening" injuries, including three fractures in his spine, damage to his stomach and colon, and a broken pelvis and hip.

Paramedics from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who helped save Mr Russell's life say he was "lucky".

His mother, Claire Russell, said police knocked on her door at about 5:25 BST.

“I looked out of the window and saw the police car and the officers heading straight to my door," she said.

"When I answered I said 'which one is it?' They said it was Corey and I asked where I needed to go and get him, but then they said he had life-threatening injuries.”

GNAAS raises £8.5m every year through public donations to stay operational

The Croxdale teenager was treated by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and then GNAAS.

GNAAS paramedic Ian Grey said the team began a blood transfusion and placed Mr Russell in a medically induced coma to secure his airway and protect his brain, before moving him to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Mr Russell's family raised £550 for GNAAS, which needs £8.5m every year to operate.

Mr Grey added: "It’s one of those stories that really makes you think how lucky Corey was.

"If we weren’t operating as a 24/7 service, we wouldn’t have been there to treat Corey and help to save his life. Then who knows what the outcome would have been?”