Mum hit by car at Denbighshire festival as daughter, 2, thrown to safety
- Published
Jenna O'Neill suffered life-changing injuries in the crash, but her daughter Ayla was saved by husband Stephen
A mother seriously injured by a "careering car" says her two-year-old daughter was saved by her husband throwing her out of the way.
Jenna O'Neill, 32, of Gloucestershire, suffered life-changing injuries after being struck by a car while at a festival in north Wales at the weekend.
Ms O'Neill was airlifted to hospital from the Conscious Tribal Gathering in Denbighshire after Saturday's incident.
Her husband Stephen said he "thought they had died and my life was ruined".
"My two-and-a-half year old toddler only survived this incident because my husband threw her out of the way of the car as it careered down the hill," Ms O'Neill said, speaking from hospital in Stoke.
"He's a hero. Things would be very different if it wasn't for his quick-thinking and fast actions."
North Wales Police said they were called to a report that an "unoccupied vehicle had rolled downhill over a tent at a campsite near Corwen", which is about 15 miles west of Wrexham.
The force has launched an investigation and is liaising with the Health and Safety Executive.
The Conscious Tribal Gathering says it is in "a private site deep in the Dee Valley" in north Wales
"We were sat outside our tent enjoying the sunshine having just had lunch," said Ms O'Neill, who is from the Forest of Dean.
"The camping fields were on a sharp incline. We, like many people, had camped at the bottom as it was the only shaded area."
The Welsh ambulance service confirmed it was called to "reports of a road traffic collision involving pedestrians" in the Glyndyfrdwy area of Corwen at about 13:30 BST on Saturday.
The service said one person was flown by air ambulance to the major trauma unit at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, while two people were taken to Wrexham's Maelor Hospital in a road ambulance.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed firefighters were called to stabilise the vehicle while paramedics treated the injured people.
'I thought my life was over'
Mr O'Neill said he thought he had lost his family and his "life was ruined"
Ms O'Neill's husband Stephen said he had thought his "life was over" when he saw the aftermath of the incident.
Mr O'Neill said: "We were sat outside our tent having lunch and a neighbouring tent got our attention and just shouted 'move out the way' and looked worried and confused.
"In that moment I just felt desperation to help Ayla and it felt like there wasn't much time between the neighbour seeing the car and us being hit.
"I watched it roll down the hill and thought 'oh my God, my family is under the car' - I just thought they had died and my life was ruined."
He said he saw his daughter lying face-down on a collapsed tent near the wheel of the car.
"I thought she was dead. She had a graze on her face and I checked her limbs, but she was fine," he said.
Mr O'Neill added his wife "was in a terrible state" but was concerned about her daughter.
"My daughter had seen what happened, so I just had to get her away from the scene when first aiders arrived.
"I spent the time pacing between trying to relax Ayla and it was only after half an hour that people told me I had grabbed her out the tent and got her to the other side, but I have no recollection of this."
'I genuinely believed my whole family had died'
Festivalgoers Jenna and Stephen O'Neill were both taken to hospital
Ms O'Neill said she was in a critical but stable condition in hospital having suffered a broken collar bone, 10 broken ribs and a fractured pelvis, as well as damage to her liver and spleen.
However, she added: "Mentally I keep going over what happened. I genuinely believed my whole family had died."
Daughter Ayla "escaped with cuts" and husband Stephen fractured his ankle, but has since been discharged from hospital.
"I'm really struggling with the fact that two days ago I was healthy and having fun with my family and now I'm unable to move in a hospital bed, unable to see my family as I'm so far from home due to Covid restrictions," said Ms O'Neill.
"However all of this is manageable as I am so aware that it could have been so much worse if it wasn't for the actions of my heroic husband throwing our toddler out of the way of the oncoming car. So I am grateful for their safety."
'No effort by stewards'
Ms O'Neill said she "100% has no doubt" that the situation could have been avoided had the festival's rules been adhered to.
"In these guidelines from the festival website, it clearly states that cars must be parked in designated areas after unloading and kept away from hilly inclines - particularly not facing down the hill," she said.
"I can confirm that from the moment we arrived on Thursday, there were multiple cars in the camping areas, many of which, including vans, were at the top of the hill facing down. This is something we discussed as we thought it seemed unfair and odd.
"The organisers or stewards seemed to put no effort into sticking to these guidelines."
Nia Lloyd Jones from Denbigh was leading a children's workshop in a marquee on the field when the accident happened, which her family witnessed.
She said her son described seeing the car "going faster and faster, and then realised there was no-one in the car" while her husband tried to help Ms O'Neill but the car went so fast "it was a little bit too late".
The Conscious Tribal Gathering was a five-day event between Thursday and Monday and on its website describes itself as "an ultra chilled family friendly event to connect with like-minded souls".
In a statement, the organisers said: "Everybody has been devastated by the incident.
"Our hearts and thoughts are with the family affected and we wish them a speedy and full recovery.
"We send thanks to all those that assisted on the scene."
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