Mum suffers broken back after brave decision to save her boy's life
A brave Sydney mum made a split-second decision to put her own life at risk in order to save her son.
Angela Goldthorpe was driving her 9-year-old son, Sean, to Judo practice in Doonside when a stolen car sped past, clipping the back of her Suzuki.
As they veered towards a tree on Eastern Road, Angela fought to steer the car so her side of the vehicle took the impact instead of her son's.
While Sean walked free after the accident, Angela was taken to hospital with a broken back.
Despite putting her life on the line, Angela denied she was a hero.
"The blokes that cut me out and run into fires, they're heroes,” she told 7 News. “I'm just a mum.”
"His life comes before mine," she said.
As paramedics tended to her multiple spinal fractures, her little boy thought the worst.
"I was thinking that she might die,” Sean said.
Rescue teams worked for 45 minutes to get her out of the crumpled car.
Angela's husband Stewart quickly made his way to the scene and was disgusted to learn that the driver and passenger from the other car, an Alpha Romeo, had left his badly injured wife helpless.
"Even one of the women that witnessed it yelled out to them, ‘come back ya cowards’,” he told 7 News.
Police attending the scene called in the dog squad, who helped them find two dumped bags.
Blacktown Police Inspector Sharon Blacklock said one of the offenders had since been caught.
“This morning police have arrested one of these males, he's a 29 year old from Doonside,” she said.
As police hunted the second man, they were investigating whether the stolen car was used in a series of break and enters.
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News break – March 1
