A 12-year-old boy who was thrown a metre after being hit by a car and placed in a medically induced coma is on the road to recovery.

His family is now fighting for safer crossings along Maidstone Road, in Matfield, near Paddock Wood, where he was struck so it does not happen again.

Oliver Hoy was knocked down by a dark blue Mercedes last month (January 4) outside The Poet restaurant on his way home from school.

He was crossing the road at around 4.45pm to wait for his parents to pick him up in the car park after he was dropped off by the bus.

The driver is not thought to have been speeding and told police she did not see Oliver in time. It was dark and raining when the accident happened.

His mum Ruth Hoy said: “I got the call every parent dreads.

“We were told at the scene that the impact of the car hitting his head had caused a life-threatening brain injury and that we should prepare ourselves for the worst.

“It was one of the worst things you could experience as a parent. We knew he might not survive.”

Oliver, 12, was placed in a medically induced coma by paramedics and transferred to the paediatric trauma centre at Kings College Hospital, in London.

Ruth said she was told when he woke up he might not recognise his family, he might have language difficulties or a personality change.

The Judd School pupil was in the intensive care ward for two days in a coma but was discharged after eight days.

He suffered three fractures to his skull, a brain bleed, a broken collarbone, a broken pelvis and multiple stitches.

“It was horrendous,” Ruth added. “Fortunately, he has been doing really well and the long-term prognosis is good.”

The 51-year-old said Maidstone Road is known to be one of the more dangerous for pedestrians in the village as there is no street lighting or safe crossing points.

The Hoy family, who have lived in Matfield since 2016, are now fighting to have Standings Cross junction listed as the number one priority in the parish for the highways improvement plan.

Kent County Council (KCC) consults with parish councils, in this case Brenchley and Matfield, to identify areas that need improving and suggest solutions.

Ruth would like to see a safe crossing put in place, either a zebra or puffin, street lighting and a reduced speed limit as well as other traffic calming measures.

The mum-of-three added: “The event itself and its aftermath have been traumatising to our family.

“We do not want another family to have to go through what we did.

“The main reason I am doing what I am doing is because I believe his accident could have been entirely avoidable.

“I do not think there is a safe space to cross the road. I think there should be something there to bring the traffic to a stop.

“Everyone recognises it to be a problem and dangerous and something needs changing."

The junction, where Maidstone Road, Brenchley Road and Chestnut Lane meet, is set to be discussed as part of the highways improvement plan at a parish council meeting on Monday (February 5).