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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Boy hurt in 'wheelie shoe' crash | Boy hurt in 'wheelie shoe' crash |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A 12-year-old boy is in a serious condition in hospital after being knocked down by a car as he crossed the road wearing a pair of "wheelie shoes". | A 12-year-old boy is in a serious condition in hospital after being knocked down by a car as he crossed the road wearing a pair of "wheelie shoes". |
| Jarred Twaits was hit by a car on Sunday as he crossed Vale Road, in Seaford, East Sussex. | Jarred Twaits was hit by a car on Sunday as he crossed Vale Road, in Seaford, East Sussex. |
| His parents said the road was dangerous and questioned whether the wheeled shoes, called Heelys, had anything at all to do with the collision. | |
| Officers were investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident. | |
| Jarred is being treated at King's College Hospital, in London, where he has undergone emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. | |
| Counterfeit models | Counterfeit models |
| The Ibiza Seat car was being driven by an 18-year-old local man, who police said had not been charged. | |
| Sussex Police confirmed the boy was wearing trainers with wheels, which are known as Heelys. | Sussex Police confirmed the boy was wearing trainers with wheels, which are known as Heelys. |
| The shoes have a single or double wheel in the heel that allows the wearer to go from walking to rolling simply by shifting their weight to their heels. | The shoes have a single or double wheel in the heel that allows the wearer to go from walking to rolling simply by shifting their weight to their heels. |
| Totally Phat, the UK's largest seller of official Heelys, acknowledged there could be some dangers associated with children wearing the shoes. | Totally Phat, the UK's largest seller of official Heelys, acknowledged there could be some dangers associated with children wearing the shoes. |
| However, it said there were a number of "dangerous counterfeit models" on the market which had not been stringently tested. | However, it said there were a number of "dangerous counterfeit models" on the market which had not been stringently tested. |
| "Totally Phat has a clear safety policy in place with a safety notice posted in all stores," it said. | "Totally Phat has a clear safety policy in place with a safety notice posted in all stores," it said. |
| Don't use them on, or near, roads, and in busy shopping centres where other people could get hurt Roger Vincent, RoSPA | |
| "All staff are fully trained to wear Heelys and teach each child how to use them safely." | "All staff are fully trained to wear Heelys and teach each child how to use them safely." |
| A statement added that it recommended parents insisted on their children wearing safety equipment while using the shoes. | A statement added that it recommended parents insisted on their children wearing safety equipment while using the shoes. |
| The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has advised children not to wear them when crossing the road. | The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has advised children not to wear them when crossing the road. |
| Spokesman Roger Vincent said: "Don't use them on, or near, roads, and in busy shopping centres where other people could get hurt." | Spokesman Roger Vincent said: "Don't use them on, or near, roads, and in busy shopping centres where other people could get hurt." |
| Since Christmas, 11 children have been admitted to two hospitals in Northern Ireland with injuries suffered while using wheeled trainers. | Since Christmas, 11 children have been admitted to two hospitals in Northern Ireland with injuries suffered while using wheeled trainers. |
| Mr Vincent added that in-line skates and rollerskates resulted in about 20,000 accidents requiring hospital treatment each year. | |
| "If you put another wheeled shoe on the market you can expect more, particularly as people learn how to use them. | |
| "The enjoyment you get out of them should outweigh the possibility of accident. But some people will get hurt," he said. |