A MUM says she counts every day as a blessing that her son is still with her after he suffered horrific injuries when he was flung in the air by a motorist who ran a red light.

Nicola Jones has spoken about every parent’s nightmare about receiving a phone call that her son had been hit by a car.

She has now called for tougher sentences for dangerous drivers to send out a ‘strong message’.

Little Elliott Bramhall was just four when he was crossing safely with his sister Danielle, aged 18, to go to the shop close to his home in Johnson Fold. He was hit by a BMW driven by 24-year-old Sanya Nadeem on Moss Bank Way.

Four-year-old boy left badly hurt by red light jumper

He had just back at school after three weeks in isolation because of the pandemic and had asked his sister to take him to the shop to get a drink.

Appearing at Bolton Crown Court Nadeem admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence. She was also given a two-year driving ban.

Nicola said: “I was driving with my partner Ryan in the car when the phone rang. All I heard was ‘is he dead? is he dead?’ I said ‘what has happened’ He just said Elliot has been run over."

The worried couple parked up and ran to their house, thinking that is where the collision had happened.

The Bolton News: Danielle with Elliot

(Danielle, sister, with her brother Elliott)

“I was crying and screaming Elliott, “ said Nicola, aged 38, “There was no-one there. I saw people gathered and ran over. I saw Danielle on the floor. Danielle had Elliot in her arms. Elliott was crying saying he wanted to go home.

“There was so many people gathered around that I put my face to Elliot to keep him calm.

“I lifted Elliott onto the stretcher and went with him in the ambulance. He had a huge cut to his head and the paramedics were worried he might have internal bleeding and stabilised him.”

He was taken to hospital, where medics had been put on standby.

“The doctors and nurses were waiting for him, “ said Nicola, “It did not seem real, it was surreal I can’t even explain how I felt. I was told to sing to him, I was singing nursery rhymes which I sing to him before he goes to bed, while he was having the stitches.

Elliott had around 30 stitches to his head and ear and stayed in hospital for five days. He could not go back to school for a month.

Though he still suffers pain where his ear was stitched, the youngster, now aged five, has made a great recovery.

“It was near Christmas and we had got the presents which we gave him ­— and he deserved them,” said Nicola.

Nicola said: “Elliott is such a cheeky little chap, he is just amazing and so popular. On sports day at school he won a race. I count every day as a blessing he is still here. He has spoken about when he went in the tunnel, which he means the CT scan he had.

“Danielle blames herself but I keep telling her it is not her fault. That is heartbreaking. They were using the crossing and were halfway across. I have taught Elliott how to use the crossing, to wait even when it is red.”

The Bolton News: Elliot with Nicola Jones

(Elliott with mum, Nicola)

Nicola added: “I have been overwhelmed by the support of the public and the police officer who has supported me for the last 10 and half-months. I am disgusted at the sentence, they need to be tougher to send out a strong message, it could stop other incidents like this from happening.

“Why she ran the light I just don’t know.”