A fundraiser has been launched to support the family of a 10-year-old boy who was seriously injured after being hit by a bus on Sandgate Esplanade, near Folkestone.
Harrison Sahlah was airlifted to Kings College Hospital in London following the “horrifying” incident on Saturday evening. About eight police cars, a fire engine, and paramedics responded at around 6:15 PM.
Harrison’s mother, Kelly Sahlah, shared that her son may have been struck in the head by the bus while he was “kneeling doing his shoe up on the kerb.”
“He only has a brain injury and head and facial injuries, with no other injuries, or even bruises or scrapes to the rest of his body,” Ms. Sahlah explained. “He has a significant head injury and until he wakes up, we won’t know the extent of his brain injury.”
A GoFundMe page set up by a family friend has already raised more than £2,000 to help support Harrison’s family during this difficult time.
Stagecoach, the bus company involved, declined to comment on the exact circumstances but confirmed the involvement of a route 102 bus travelling towards Folkestone. A spokesperson stated, “All our thoughts and well wishes are for the boy and his family. This is a horrifying incident for everyone involved, and we are providing full support to the police investigation into what happened.”
The police have launched an investigation into the incident, which forced traffic to turn in both directions to allow emergency crews to work. The air ambulance landed on the beach at Sandgate Esplanade, with crews on standby as dozens of onlookers observed the unfolding events. Police prevented people from using the pavement from the esplanade towards Princes Parade, Hythe.
Ms Sahlah expressed her gratitude on social media to those who supported her family at the scene, including an off-duty paramedic who provided CPR to Harrison.
A police spokesperson confirmed, “Kent Police was called to a report of a collision involving a bus and a pedestrian on Sandgate Esplanade, Folkestone, at 6:20 PM on Saturday, 29 June 2024. Officers attended along with South East Coast Ambulance Service and an air ambulance, and the pedestrian, a boy, was flown to a London hospital.”
The accident occurred just meters from where a seven-year-old boy was recently killed in a hit-and-run crash. William Brown died when he was hit by two vehicles on the A259 Sandgate Esplanade in December. Stewart Powell, 49, admitted earlier this year to leaving the scene of the accident and will be sentenced at a later date.
The community remains in shock as they rally around the Sahlah family, hoping for Harrison’s recovery and supporting them through the fundraiser.
