Exclusive by Karen Evans
The wife of a man who has been left unrecognisable from his former self after being involved in a collision with a tourist coach in Llandrindod Wells, has appealed for witnesses to the incident to come forward.
Julia Burchell’s husband Chris was in the town to attend a meeting at the Bracken Trust on May 22, but was involved in the collision by the Hampton Hotel as he took a walk. He never got to his meeting.
He was rescued by emergency services from underneath the Amport and District Coach before being flown to Hereford County Hospital by the Wales Air Ambulance.
Seven weeks on and he remains in hospital in a very poorly state.
Julia said: “He is not able to speak to me, and although he has opened his eyes he is more or less immobile. We think he has some recognition skills but he is being fed intravenously. He is coming around gradually but we are not sure what his long term recovery will be like.
“It is just terribly, terribly sad to see him now. Just seven weeks ago he held down a great job, drove a car, and had a good social and family life. He was a very, very intelligent man and its just terribly sad to see him as he is.
“I came to Llandrindod Wells on the Wednesday after the incident because I just needed to see where it happened, to get it straight in my head. But I just really want to see if there is anyone out there who saw what happened. I am still very much in the dark about what happened. We just don’t know if he was on his mobile phone, if he fell or was pushed. I have to put together a picture of what happened on that day.”
Mr Burchell, 55, is a quantity surveyor, and on the day he was involved in the incident he had travelled from Oxfordshire to Llandrindod Wells to attend a meeting with the Bracken Trust about setting up a Macmillan Cancer Relief hospice in the area.
He suffered a broken humerus, most of his right ribs were broken and some of his left, as well as being left unable to speak.
PC Geraint Skyrme of Dyfed Powys Police has been dealing with the case and said they had identified several witnesses at the scene and had taken witness statements.
But if anyone else saw the incident, they could contact him at Llandrindod Wells Police Station on 0845 330 2000.
Julia has urged anyone who saw the full incident to contact her solicitor David Black at Bower and Baileys in Oxfordshire on 01865 311133.