AN 11-YEAR-OLD cyclist who fractured his skull in two places in a crash with a car is lucky to be alive, his mother said.

Connor Cox also suffered a broken leg in the collision with a people carrier at the junction of Abingdon Road and Weirs Lane, in Oxford, a week ago.

He was slipping in and out of consciousness at the scene when paramedics arrived, and was placed in intensive care overnight in a serious condition.

The youngster, who goes to Rose Hill Primary School, is now in a stable condition in hospital but his mother Donna Mazey, 36, expects it will be weeks before he is back to normal.

Miss Mazey, of Oxford Road in Littlemore, said: “The hospital was worried when he arrived. He was lucky to survive and I am surprised he is still here.

“When I saw the scan and the pictures of his head injury, I thought how could anybody survive that?”

Her son began physiotherapy yesterday, but is unable to walk unaided.

Miss Mazey added: “Put it this way, he’s out of danger, but he’s not a well boy.

“Everybody thinks he’s not in intensive care any more so he’s fine, but he’s still getting dizziness and being sick. He’s a bit incoherent and doesn’t realise he keeps blacking out. He’s epileptic anyway, so it causes problems.

“He’s sleeping all the time and is still very poorly.”

Miss Mazey has been at his bedside at the Oxford Children’s Hospital, at the John Radcliffe Hospital, throughout his treatment.

The youngster expects to be allowed home some time this week but it could be more than a month before he is well enough to return to school.

Miss Mazey said: “They won’t allow him out of bed. He’ll be there until the middle of next week.

“He won’t be able to go to school for about five weeks – so it will be the summer holidays by the time he is better.

“I’m just glad I’ve still got him.”

She added: “His friends have been up to see him.”

Connor suffered fractures to his forehead and rear of his skull.

His left leg is broken near the ankle and he has plaster up to his knee.

Connor collided with a seven-seater silver Volkswagen Sharan at the junction near the former Fox and Hounds pub, at about 12.45pm last Tuesday.

He had been cycling across the road with two friends.

Witnesses said they heard a screech before the youngster hit the windscreen and the bike flew into the air.

Police closed the road for more than four hours to launch an investigation into the crash, which caused tailbacks on Abingdon Road and Donnington Bridge Road throughout the afternoon.

No one has been arrested in connection with the crash.

mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk