Latest news with #traumaticbraininjury
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Inconsistent e-scooter regulations across the country are putting riders and pedestrians at risk
At 16, Jasmine Flowers suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling off an e-scooter – an accident she admits was her own fault. She reached a speed of 28kph while riding her friend's privately-owned device on Queensland's Sunshine Coast when the e-scooter tipped over and she fell. "It's just black from there," she said. Jasmine, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was rushed to hospital and then flown to Brisbane where she was in a coma for several days. She remained in hospital for a month, and seven months later, still visits regularly for check-ups. Her father, Gary Flowers, will never forget the moment he saw his daughter after the accident. He recalled Jasmine covered in blood, crying, writhing in pain, shivering from the cold and vomiting from the trauma. "It's been an emotional rollercoaster," Mr Flowers said. The impact of Jasmine's head hitting the bitumen caused her brain to shift inside her skull, resulting in a bleed on the opposite side. She was left deaf in one ear, unable to fully close her eye and temporarily paralysed in the face. Jasmine, now 17, still lives with memory loss, brain fog, impulsivity and confusion – and acknowledges the risk she took. "It was my fault," she admitted. Jasmine is one of thousands of young Australians who have been injured while riding e-scooters or e-bikes. Since 2018, Queensland hospitals have recorded almost 6,300 emergency department presentations related to e-scooter crashes. According to the Jamieson Trauma Institute's Kirsten Vallmuur, nearly 1,100 of those were children under 16 and almost 500 were children under 12. "Around a third of the patients are saying they were speeding over the 25kph speed limit," she said. Riding without a helmet or under the influence of alcohol are two of the other key factors in e-scooter crashes not just in Queensland, but across the country. However, tracking national trends is difficult and researchers have had to rely on individual data-gathering projects to obtain statistics. "Hospital systems aren't equipped to collect that data in a responsive way," Professor Vallmuur said. "Even though the collection of data is not systematic [nationally], the kinds of patterns that are coming out [are] quite systematic." Part of the problem lies in inconsistent regulation, with rules for e-scooters and e-bikes different across Australian jurisdictions. In Queensland, private e-scooters are legal and can be ridden on footpaths, while in New South Wales, private ownership is banned. Speed limits also differ. Some jurisdictions allow up to 25kph while others cap them at 15kph. Even what qualifies as a legal e-bike differs. Some states allow throttle-assist bikes, where riders don't need to pedal. Others allow only pedal-assist models. Narelle Haworth from Queensland's Motor Accident Insurance Commission said differing rules around the country had opened the door to non-compliant and potentially dangerous devices being imported and used. "[There is] very little checking at the border," she said. "There's very little need for compliance with the rules that we have here in Australia … so you can import and buy something online that is going to be illegal in the state where you live." Australia's federal transport department told the ABC states and territories are responsible for e-scooter and e-bike regulation. "It's clear there is considerable community concern and risk presented by the increasing number of these devices," a spokesperson said. "That's why the Australian government is continuing to work with the states and territories to explore the risks and opportunities they, as well as personal mobility devices more broadly, present — and identify appropriate risk management strategies." Queensland and Western Australia are both undertaking public inquiries into e-device use. New South Wales recently concluded a similar inquiry. Queensland's hearings began last week after the inquiry received more than 1,000 public submissions. Among those calling for change is 25-year-old Townsville resident Tristan Bowers who loves to walk his guide dog Andy along the city's beachfront promenade – The Strand. Mr Bowen, who sees only shadows due to optic nerve hypoplasia, said e-scooter and e-bike traffic had turned the 3.5m wide footpath into an obstacle course. "It's never really possible to get out of the way, so we have to rely on them to get out of [our] way." Mr Bowen said he didn't want to see the devices banned, but would like to see tighter rules to reduce risk. "I would like to see speed restrictions and something to make them louder, so when they go past, they're easier to hear," he said. Professor Haworth, who also works with the Queensland University of Technology Road Safety Research Collaboration, said Australia could learn from overseas jurisdictions. She pointed to the UK where rental e-scooter riders must have a drivers licence and people must be aged over 14 to ride pedal-assist e-bikes. "People already know the road rules because they already have a drivers licence and it also puts in a minimum age that is probably at an appropriate level," she said. For Jasmine, her mission now is to warn others. She speaks to her peers about the risks and wants tighter laws to protect young riders. Her father agrees — and he's taken his campaign to politicians, calling for changes including full-face helmets, reduced speed limits and education in schools. He also wants teenagers to complete a safety course before being allowed to ride an e-device. "No one should have to go through that kind of pain," Jasmine said. "It was like a fever dream. It was the worst months of my life. I hated every single bit of it. "Treat it the way you treat a car. Those same laws."
Malay Mail
23-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Singapore security officer jailed seven months for punching colleague who suffered brain injury
SINGAPORE, July 23 — A security officer in Singapore was sentenced to seven months in jail after he punched his colleague in the face during a dispute, causing the victim to suffer a traumatic brain injury and lose consciousness. According to The Straits Times, the incident took place on June 15, 2024, after the two men, who were deployed at Lucky Plaza shopping centre in Orchard Road, got into a verbal dispute over work-related checks. The assailant, Mohd Razali Mohamed Sarip, 44, later trailed the 52-year-old victim—identified in court documents only as V1—as he was walking towards a nearby bus stop and kicked him from behind before delivering a forceful punch to his face. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sivaranjini Pillai Eliathamby said the impact caused the victim to fall backwards and hit the back of his head on the concrete floor, rendering him unconscious. Razali waited for the victim to regain consciousness, walked him to the bus stop and then left the scene. However, the victim fainted again shortly afterwards. A passing motorcyclist found him lying face down and alerted authorities. The victim was taken to hospital and found to have sustained a traumatic brain injury. He was placed on 65 days of medical leave and had to undergo rehabilitation with both a physiotherapist and a speech therapist. The Straits Times reported that Razali pleaded guilty to a single charge of voluntarily causing hurt and was sentenced on July 22. In addition to his jail sentence, he was ordered to pay nearly S$18,600 (RM65,000) in compensation to the victim, or serve an additional 18 days in jail if he fails to do so. Razali's bail was set at S$10,000 and he is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on August 5.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I woke up from a four-week coma and my best friend was dead... a driver had smashed into us at 101mph - I've had to learn to do EVERYTHING again - and he's been caught offending AGAIN
When Harriet Barnsley woke up from a four-week coma following a devastating crash that killed her best friend, she had no idea what was wrong. The 21-year-old university student had to ask her mother 'what had happened to her' and why she couldn't move a single part of her body. She had broken her arms, legs, wrists and suffered a traumatic brain injury after being hit by a speeding driver travelling at 101mph on a 40mph road. It was May 31, 2014, and Harriet had been standing at a bus stop with her childhood best friend Rebecca McManus on their way to a hen party. She had travelled home to Birmingham for the night out after finishing her final exam at the University of Reading the day before. Harriet and Rebecca were stood waiting for the bus when two cars - that were racing each other - charged around the corner at speeds upwards of 100mph. One of the drivers lost control and smashed into both of them. Rebecca was killed instantly, while Harriet was catapulted around 50 yards into a park behind. More than a decade after the tragedy Harriet, now 32, still pretends her best friend is away studying at university to cope with the grief. Speaking to MailOnline this week, Harriet, who has started sharing her story on her TikTok account @hazzzzab, opened up about her devastating ordeal. Harriet (pictured) had travelled home to Birmingham for the night out after finishing her final exam at the University of Reading the day before It comes after dangerous driver Sukvinder Mannan, who killed Rebecca and seriously injured Harriet, was caught offending again after spending just four years in prison. The sales rep, 42, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving in 2015, was picked by police after speeding through a red light and found without a licence. He was put back behind bars for 12 weeks in February last year and was banned from driving for a further 770 days. Harriet said: 'I have had to piece together what happened because I do not remember any of it. 'I woke up from a coma around four weeks later to the worried faces of my family and friends and found out what had happened. 'Becky and I had been best friends from the age of five to 21. She was killed instantly and apparently I was found sat up screaming. 'I do not remember it but I am so glad that I don't. The worst possible thing that could happen to me has already happened. 'However, when I found out about what happened to Becky I felt like I needed to live for us both.' Since the crash, Harriet has undergone numerous operations and has lost the use of her left foot, leaving her physically disabled. Rebecca McManus (pictured), 21, died after she was hit by Mannan's out-of-control high-powered Mitsubishi at a bus stop on Hagley Road in Quinton, near Birmingham city centre She explained, however, that while she threw herself into her physical recovery, she has struggled emotionally. Harriet said she developed psychosis in 2019 which left her living in a continuous nightmare. She recalled: 'I never really let myself grieve. I just kind of got on with it and threw myself into the physical recovery as a way of coping with it. 'They said because I was physically fit - and that I was athletic that was one of the reasons I survived. 'So I kept on doing that, kept on just trying to cope and get on with it for as long as possible. 'And then I met a neuropsychologist in 2015 and they said if I continued to box in my emotions, there was going to be catastrophic consequences. 'I read the report and was like well you don't know me - I'm not going to let myself break down because I don't know if I will ever be able to get back up again. 'And then five years later low and behold I had ran out of stream and I started a masters at Birmingham University. 'I'd got an unconditional acceptance on, and started it, and then realised that I couldn't keep it up. Harriet, pictured in hospital after the accident, bounced off the car three times and was in a coma for four weeks at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham 'That kind of halted my everything and led me to getting depressed - with that depression leading me to developing psychosis, which is when I just checked out of reality. 'I couldn't handle it. I got picked up on the motorway in the middle of the night in January 2019.' Harriet, who has now recovered after spending time in hospital, said she wants to change the stigma that still exists around psychosis. She has also campaigned for a crackdown on dangerous driving and wants to 'make people think twice before they get behind the wheel'. Harriet said: 'I started social media because people would get in contact with me and ask me to speak about road safety and what I've gone through. 'At one anniversary for people who have died in car crashes I just broke down and then I discovered it is really hard to do in person. 'I then tried working out a way to put it online rather than having to deliver it as a speech to a crowd of people. 'That is why I started TikTok. I want to share my story. I don't know how to stop dangerous driving and I don't know how to actually make a difference. 'All I know is that the minimum I can do is make someone think twice before they get behind the wheel of a car. 'Psychosis is also massively misunderstood and not spoken about enough. 'Celebrities do talk about it but people are afraid of psychosis without really understanding it. 'I have been trying to raise awareness through writing a book and on social media. 'And just the idea that you can cope with anything. I've made it through the worst thing physically I could ever possibly experience and then the worst thing, mentally that I've ever experienced. 'But now I have the rest of my life left to enjoy and I want to help others.' The men responsible for the crash that killed Rebecca and seriously injured Harriet were both jailed in 2015. During the trial, witness Lindsey Grant described their driving as like 'a scene out of the film The Fast and The Furious'. Sukvinder Mannan, then 33, from Halesowen, West Midlands, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to provide a blood sample following the crash. In November 2015, Mannan was jailed for eight years at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Inderjit Singh, then 31, of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. However he had previously admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for one year. As well as the jail terms, Mannan was banned from driving for 10 years and Singh was disqualified for three.
The Independent
21-07-2025
- The Independent
Mother jailed for killing baby daughter during first Covid lockdown
A mother who killed her four-month-old baby girl by violently shaking her during the first national coronavirus lockdown has been jailed for 15 years. Melissa Wilband, 28, caused traumatic brain injuries to Lexi Wilband as she bathed her at their home in Newent, Gloucestershire, on Easter Sunday 2020. Bristol Crown Court heard tests showed Lexi died following bleeding on her brain, likely caused by being violently shaken, both recently and on at least one earlier occasion. She died at Bristol Children's Hospital, with a nurse holding her hand, on April 18 – six days after her collapse. Wilband was found guilty of manslaughter earlier this year following a trial. Her former partner, Jack Wheeler, 31, was acquitted of causing or allowing Lexi's death. Mr Wheeler had also been charged with Lexi's manslaughter but this was formally withdrawn during the trial after prosecutors offered no evidence against him. Jailing Wilband, Mr Justice Saini said he was satisfied she had caused the fatal injuries to Lexi by 'violently' shaking her. 'Lexi was about four-months-old when she died. She was a healthy baby. It is important that we recognise this is about her life being taken,' he said. 'Lexi was killed by you when the country was in the first national Covid-19 lockdown. 'Your shaking of Lexi led to severe bleeding in her brain. I am sure, on the evidence, that Lexi had been shaken by you in another, less violent incident before that Easter Sunday. 'Only you will know why you acted in the way you did. 'It is hard to imagine the pain that Lexi must have suffered both from the past violence and the violence that led to her death. She would have cried out in anguish.' During the trial, jurors were told that Wilband and Mr Wheeler were in a relationship for about three years, but that Lexi was conceived with another man in early 2019. But Wilband told Mr Wheeler, of Ledbury, Herefordshire, that he was the baby's biological father and presented him with a fake DNA certificate that claimed he was '100%' the 'farther' of her then-unborn child. A genuine DNA test after Lexi's birth in November 2019 confirmed that Mr Wheeler was not biologically related to her, but he remained with Wilband and brought up Lexi as if she were his own child. Jurors heard how Wilband, who had a volatile relationship with Mr Wheeler, took cocaine six days after Lexi was born. After Lexi collapsed, Wilband made a 111 call from the new-build council house where she lived with Mr Wheeler and Lexi. She claimed Lexi had stopped breathing while in her bouncer chair. Lexi was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and was intubated, with Wilband asked if she would like to hold her baby before the procedure took place. She declined to do so. The infant was then transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital, where Wilband told medics that Mr Wheeler had been carrying Lexi in her bouncer chair and was swinging it. A decision was made to switch off Lexi's ventilator on April 17, following the results of an MRI scan. Jane Osborne KC, prosecuting, said Wilband was aware that her baby might die through the night but did not stay at her bedside. 'A staff nurse held Lexi's hand through the night and remained with her,' Ms Osborne said. 'She arrived just after Lexi had ceased to show any signs of life and had stopped breathing.' A post-mortem examination gave Lexi's cause of death as bleeding to the brain, caused by a non-accidental traumatic event such as shaking. Giving evidence, Wilband denied ever shaking Lexi and said she had a 'bad wrist' that meant she was physically unable to shake her, and sought to blame her partner. In a victim impact statement, Mr Wheeler's mother Donnah Davies and father Paul Wheeler said they knew Lexi was not their biological granddaughter 'but it made no difference to us'. 'She was a beautiful little baby girl and we loved her,' they said. 'I can say that Lexi's death is something that Paul and I will carry with us for the rest of our lives.' David Aubrey KC, defending, said Wilband was immature for her age and had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'The sentencing guidelines recognises that age and or lack of maturity can impact the offender's responsibility and can reduce the sentence,' he said. 'This happened at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic and the defendant found that before she had the support of her family she was now in effect alone and had to cope with the stresses she was facing at the time. 'The lack of support that was taken from her and dealing with things alone is something for the court to have proper regard to.' Speaking afterwards, Ann Hampshire, from the CPS, said Wilband had not shown any remorse for her actions. 'Lexi's life was tragically cut short by someone who should have loved and cared for her – her own mother,' she said. 'Everyone who has been involved in this case has been deeply moved by the tragic circumstances of Lexi's death. 'Every professional she's spoken to – the Probation Service, the psychologist – she's maintained her denial and stated she wants to appeal.'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Mother jailed for killing baby daughter during first Covid lockdown
A mother who killed her four-month-old baby girl by violently shaking her during the first national coronavirus lockdown has been jailed for 15 years. Melissa Wilband, 28, caused traumatic brain injuries to Lexi Wilband as she bathed her at their home in Newent, Gloucestershire, on Easter Sunday 2020. Bristol Crown Court heard tests showed Lexi died following bleeding on her brain, likely caused by being violently shaken, both recently and on at least one earlier occasion. She died at Bristol Children's Hospital, with a nurse holding her hand, on April 18 – six days after her collapse. Wilband was found guilty of manslaughter earlier this year following a trial. Her former partner, Jack Wheeler, 31, was acquitted of causing or allowing Lexi's death. Mr Wheeler had also been charged with Lexi's manslaughter but this was formally withdrawn during the trial after prosecutors offered no evidence against him. Jailing Wilband, Mr Justice Saini said he was satisfied she had caused the fatal injuries to Lexi by 'violently' shaking her. 'Lexi was about four-months-old when she died. She was a healthy baby. It is important that we recognise this is about her life being taken,' he said. 'Lexi was killed by you when the country was in the first national Covid-19 lockdown. 'Your shaking of Lexi led to severe bleeding in her brain. I am sure, on the evidence, that Lexi had been shaken by you in another, less violent incident before that Easter Sunday. 'Only you will know why you acted in the way you did. 'It is hard to imagine the pain that Lexi must have suffered both from the past violence and the violence that led to her death. She would have cried out in anguish.' During the trial, jurors were told that Wilband and Mr Wheeler were in a relationship for about three years, but that Lexi was conceived with another man in early 2019. But Wilband told Mr Wheeler, of Ledbury, Herefordshire, that he was the baby's biological father and presented him with a fake DNA certificate that claimed he was '100%' the 'farther' of her then-unborn child. A genuine DNA test after Lexi's birth in November 2019 confirmed that Mr Wheeler was not biologically related to her, but he remained with Wilband and brought up Lexi as if she were his own child. Jurors heard how Wilband, who had a volatile relationship with Mr Wheeler, took cocaine six days after Lexi was born. After Lexi collapsed, Wilband made a 111 call from the new-build council house where she lived with Mr Wheeler and Lexi. She claimed Lexi had stopped breathing while in her bouncer chair. Lexi was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and was intubated, with Wilband asked if she would like to hold her baby before the procedure took place. She declined to do so. The infant was then transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital, where Wilband told medics that Mr Wheeler had been carrying Lexi in her bouncer chair and was swinging it. A decision was made to switch off Lexi's ventilator on April 17, following the results of an MRI scan. Jane Osborne KC, prosecuting, said Wilband was aware that her baby might die through the night but did not stay at her bedside. 'A staff nurse held Lexi's hand through the night and remained with her,' Ms Osborne said. 'She arrived just after Lexi had ceased to show any signs of life and had stopped breathing.' A post-mortem examination gave Lexi's cause of death as bleeding to the brain, caused by a non-accidental traumatic event such as shaking. Giving evidence, Wilband denied ever shaking Lexi and said she had a 'bad wrist' that meant she was physically unable to shake her, and sought to blame her partner. In a victim impact statement, Mr Wheeler's mother Donnah Davies and father Paul Wheeler said they knew Lexi was not their biological granddaughter 'but it made no difference to us'. 'She was a beautiful little baby girl and we loved her,' they said. 'I can say that Lexi's death is something that Paul and I will carry with us for the rest of our lives.' David Aubrey KC, defending, said Wilband was immature for her age and had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'The sentencing guidelines recognises that age and or lack of maturity can impact the offender's responsibility and can reduce the sentence,' he said. 'This happened at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic and the defendant found that before she had the support of her family she was now in effect alone and had to cope with the stresses she was facing at the time. 'The lack of support that was taken from her and dealing with things alone is something for the court to have proper regard to.' Speaking afterwards, Ann Hampshire, from the CPS, said Wilband had not shown any remorse for her actions. 'Lexi's life was tragically cut short by someone who should have loved and cared for her – her own mother,' she said. 'Everyone who has been involved in this case has been deeply moved by the tragic circumstances of Lexi's death. 'Every professional she's spoken to – the Probation Service, the psychologist – she's maintained her denial and stated she wants to appeal.'
