Pontyclun crash: Man hurt outside pub 'happy to be alive'

A man who was hit by a car when it crashed into a crowd in a pub beer garden says he is "happy to be alive".

Darren George, 30, remains in hospital with leg fractures and ankle breaks after Thursday's Windsor pub crash in Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

He was one of five pedestrians taken to hospital after the 79-year-old driver suffered what police said was a "medical episode" at the wheel.

Mr George said the incident was "one of those freak things".

Police advised people to avoid Pontyclun after the serious incident on Thursday

"I'm happy to be alive and happy to still have my leg," said Mr George, who is the only pedestrian injured in the crash who remains in hospital.

The force said the investigation into what happened was ongoing and no arrests had been made.

Recalling the events of that night, Mr George said he had joined friends for a drink and to enjoy the warm weather because he was due to be working away in Exeter for a few weeks.

He said one of his friends had only just bought him a second pint of beer when he spotted the car.

"I've looked up and seen that car coming over the bridge and seen him coming across the wrong side of the road and narrowly missing a car and coming down the pavement," he said.

"I turned to my friend Dean and said, 'look at this mad one by here'."

The car crashed into the pub in the centre of the village as customers enjoyed Wales' hottest day of 2021

He said when he turned back to look at the car it was coming "foot down, straight at us".

"I remember just rolling and my face being up against the Windsor wall and then being back on my feet hobbling away and seeing people on the floor," he said.

"As I've gone to walk towards the car, I've felt pain in my leg and looked down and all I could see was my calf muscle hanging out of my leg. I thought 'that's going to hurt'."

Mr George said he initially felt angry and went to confront the driver assuming he must have been drunk, but realised he too was badly injured.

He said he has since found out the driver had become unwell at the wheel which caused the crash.

A couple of Mr George's friends were also hurt, but he suffered the most significant injuries.

He said in the "chaos" that ensued after the crash he was helped by strangers.

The crash happened in the early evening, when many people were having a drink in the beer garden

"Some guys who came to help me out were ex-military. One of them was superb.

"One of them said he'd been on one or two tours of Afghanistan and knew exactly what to do. He kept me really calm and had a bit of a laugh with me and did what he needed to do to make sure I didn't lose my leg. He was brilliant."

Darren George says he expects to undergo further surgery in the coming days

He is feeling positive about his recovery: "Lucky the worst of it happened to me because I'm a bit younger than everyone else. I'm not going to bounce back from it, but I'll recover.

"It's also lucky how I was sitting. If I'd been sitting with my back to it, anything could have happened then - the worst probably."

Mr George said he expects to remain in hospital for at least the rest of the week and will undergo further surgery in the coming days.

He said the crash had put his plans to join the Royal Logistics Corps as a heavy goods vehicles driver on hold.

"What can you do? It's just one of those freak things," he said.

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