‘I had a stroke behind the wheel and crashed – then I ended up in court’

A stroke survivor has shared his “horrendous” experience of being taken to court, after crashing his car when he suddenly went blind behind the wheel. Stephen Ellis collided with a parked car outside a school when he lost vision in his left eye, with the police accusing him of careless driving.^[1]

He was given a ticket at the scene by police officers who were oblivious to the severe stroke^[2] he had suffered, which left him unable to speak, walk and read. Following his crash, dad-of-three Stephen couldn’t remember his date of birth or where he lived, and after medical tests learnt he had a large blood clot in his brain.

He was taken to court where the police argued he had refused medical help following the crash and failed to provide any evidence of his medical condition until the court case, Manchester Evening News^[3] reports.

Stephen, 57, from Salford, claims the police never offered medical assistance and that he gave all the evidence that was necessary. After a “horrendous time” in which he was “nearly physically sick”, the case was finally dropped before trial by police.

“I wrote my car off - the stress I was under was insane. My wife thought I was going to have another stroke. Despite all my efforts to convince West Yorkshire Police^[5] that the incident was the result of a stroke, they refused to let it drop and had me appear in court."

Following his crash, Stephen couldn’t remember his date of birth or where he lived, and after medical tests learnt he had a large blood clot in his brain. Stephen hadn’t realised the extent of his condition until hospital tests showed a large blood clot in Stephen’s brain.

“It was the biggest shock of my life, my wife knew there was something horrendously wrong. When they told me I’d had a stroke, I was like, what? I was completely out of it,” he recalled.

Stephen stayed in a stroke unit as the blood clot was dissolved in his head, a recovery which he describes as a “miracle”. But that was just the beginning of the road for Stephen, who spent the next year learning how to walk, talk and read again.

"I was poorly for a long time,” he said. “Learning how to walk and talk again was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

He has gone above and beyond in his recovery, and now aims to complete the famous walk from John O’Groats in Scotland to Lands End in Cornwall.

After having a dream about completing the walk when in hospital, Stephen had something to focus his sights on for the recovery - even though the nurse “looked at me like I had three heads”.

Stephen trained with a few miles every day during his recovery, and started the walk on May 1 - he has so far made it home to the North West and will be continuing his journey after dropping in at the Salford Lads Club.

He is fundraising for the Calderdale Royal Hospital where he recovered and a Calderdale Stroke group which he attends monthly.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “Police took a report of a collision on Towngate Road, Brighouse on 25 March 2022 where a vehicle crashed into two parked cars.

“Officers identified the driver who declined any medical attention at the scene. He was subsequently reported for driving without due care and attention.

“Following consideration of the relevant medical evidence, the offence was later withdrawn before the case was due to proceed to trial on 27 February 2023.”

References

1. ^{^} careless driving. (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^{^} severe stroke (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Manchester Evening News (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
4. ^{^} 'Sports mad' schoolgirl left in coma after trampolining accident leads to stroke (www.mirror.co.uk)
5. ^{^} West Yorkshire Police (www.mirror.co.uk)