Injured tourist still living horror of coach crash in Egypt
12:20pm Friday 5th June 2009 in News
Chris Lock
A YOUNG man who was seriously injured in a horror coach crash on holiday in Egypt has still not been able to return to work, nine months after the accident.
Chris Lock and his former girlfriend, Katie Smith, were on a trip from the beach resort of Sharm El-Sheikh to the Pyramids when their bus smashed into a truck last September.
Mr Lock, aged 26, suffered a shattered shin bone, fractured ankle, fractured knee and a head injury in the collision which killed 12 people and injured 33.
He previously worked as a delivery assistant for a home delivery firm but has not been able to work because of his injuries. Now he is hoping to win compensation from the company which organised the fatal coach trip.
He is taking legal action against Egyptian tour operator Orbit Travel, as he believes the driver, who was killed, did not take a break in the six-hour journey.
Mr Lock, of Crook Street, Bolton, said: “We were sitting right in the middle of the coach. I’d wanted to sit at the front because I get a bit travel sick but thankfully Katie persuaded me to sit in the middle.
“That decision saved my life because the front took the brunt of the crash.”
Mr Lock spent a week in hospital in Cairo, before being flown home. When he arrived back in the UK he was treated at the Royal Bolton Hospital for two-and-a-half weeks.
He said: “I am still slowly trying to recover from my injuries. I still have a pin in my leg to support my shin. I am mobile but I have to watch how long I am on my feet for. I can’t move suddenly or manage steep slopes.
“I’ve not been able to return my job as a delivery assistant. It’s really affected me because I’m normally such an active person.”
The couple, whose relationship broke down after the crash, had saved for six months for their dream holiday.
Matt Tomlinson, from solicitors Russell Jones and Walker, said: “Sadly many British holidaymakers are injured each year in road accidents. My advice for anyone booking day trips while on holiday is to proceed with caution, and to ensure that the local agents they use are reputable and recommended by the hotel or the tour operator. I would also advise that payment is made by credit card for insurance protection purposes.
“We will continue with Mr Lock's fight for compensation against the local agents despite the logistical difficulties faced.”
