The father of a young boy who was injured after being hit by a scrambler bike in his front yard says his son now suffers from nightmares after the incident.
Frankie Byrne was playing in his front yard when the driver of the bike apparently lost control and landed on the nine-year old at his home in the Dun Eimear Estate in Bettystown, Co. Meath.
The young boy was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda where he was treated for four broken bones in his foot and dislocation between his toes. It was thought he might need surgery but luckily medics managed to reassess the situation once the swelling had abated.
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However Frankie still has nightmares about the incident and is afraid to play outside, according to his dad Keith who is appealing to parents not to let their children use the bikes in built up areas, especially where kids are playing.
"Frankie was out the front playing in our cobble-locked drive and I was across the road, holding my two year old child and talking to a neighbour when this happened at 6.57 on Thursday, August 24th," he said.
"A neighbour had stepped out to ask the scrambler driver to be mindful of the kids playing and it seems he went to drive around them and accidentally lost control. The bike went into our driveway and landed on Frankie.
"These scrambler bikes had been driven around the estate and the village the week before and Frankie was afraid of them. He used to come inside from playing if they were around but stayed outside that evening because I was there.
"I and a number of parents had called the gardai about the scramblers and I told gardai that a child could be hit. Ironically, it ended up being my child.
"Frankie's fear became a reality. Now, he is mindful of any loud car passing in case it is a scrambler. The broken bones will heal but I should be able to tell him to go and play outside because it is safe and now I can't do that.
"Parents have to take responsibility for their children. If a child shows an interest in a scrambler, then encourage them to follow guidelines around driving those vehicles.
"The number of scramblers, quads and electric dirt bikes are on the rise in the area and they are causing concern and anxiety among residents in the village.
"I was in the village on Wednesday morning when I saw another scrambler doing a wheelie on the road near the Post Office. The driver was fully masked and not wearing a helmet and I'm pretty sure scramblers are not allowed on public roads.
"There is a joint policing committee pub in the Village Hotel in Bettystown at 7pm on Thursday, September 21st where people are invited to discuss concerns in the area and I will be raising the issue of scramblers."
A Garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí attended the scene of a road traffic collision in Dun Eimear, Bettystown, Co. Meath at approximately 7:00pm on Thursday 24th August 2023. It is reported that a driver lost control of his motorcycle and collided with a male child.
"The boy was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda for treatment of non-life-threatening Injuries. Investigations are ongoing."
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