- Cooper was left with a fractured eye socket, concussion, broken fingers and a retinal tear after being hit by an e-scooter outside his Queensland school
- The 10-year-old schoolboy spent six nights in hospital and later underwent laser eye surgery, but his vision in his right eye still hasn’t returned
- Cooper’s family are urging parents to talk to children about e-scooter safety as Queensland introduces tougher rules around e-bikes and e-scooters
Here Jack Stuart-Sutherland, 35, from Deeragun, Qld, tells his story in his own words
My phone buzzing in my pocket, I took it out, looked at the number and frowned, recognising it.
It was around 3pm on June 17 this year, and I knew my stepson Cooper, 10, would be finishing school.
He was a good kid, so I thought it odd that the school would be phoning me.
As the call connected, a teacher delivered shock news.
Cooper was hurt.
‘A kid rode into him on an e-scooter, he’s got a cut on his head,’ they said, explaining he’d been knocked to the ground as he wheeled his own push scooter out of the school gates.
‘I’ll be right there,’ I said.
Cooper’s mum, Kelli, 34, was stuck at work until 5pm.
I jumped in the car and drove the three minutes to the school from our home.
When I arrived, I found Cooper sitting inside the school gates surrounded by concerned teachers and parents.
His face was slick with blood.
There was a large gash above his right eyebrow, and he was cradling his right arm.
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‘Did anyone see who did it?’ I cried.
‘They fell off, then rode away when I got hit,’ Cooper responded.
Spying his helmet by his side, I took in the large scuff on the side.
I was so grateful Cooper had been wearing it.
Seconds later an ambulance arrived, lights and sirens blaring.
Looking him over, paramedics determined Cooper was concussed.
‘He’ll need some stitches for that cut too,’ they said.
Cooper was loaded into the ambulance, and I followed in my car as they took him to Townsville University Hospital.
I called Kelli on the way and filled her in on what was happening.
‘I’ll be there soon,’ she cried.
Cooper was taken for X-rays and an MRI that showed he had a fractured right eye socket, a concussion, fractures to his index and middle fingers on his right hand, as well as cuts to his forehead.
Shortly after 5pm, Kelli met me at the hospital as Cooper waited for stitches to his head, and a cast for his hand.
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‘You’re so brave,’ Kelli told him from his bedside.
‘I can’t see, Mum,’ Cooper cried, explaining his vision was blurry in his right eye.
Cooper’s head wounds needed 25 stitches – but that was just the start of his journey.
His right eye had a retinal tear from the impact. For six nights, doctors constantly tested his eye for vision loss.
Kelli and I took turns staying by Cooper’s side. His older sister Tayhlar, 15, came to visit too.
I did my best to keep his spirits high – we’d watch TV, and Cooper beamed from ear-to-ear when his school mates wrote Get well soon cards.
While Cooper was able to come home six days later, he was still dealing with ongoing sight issues.
In July he had laser surgery on his right eye to try and repair the tear.
Three weeks after the accident, police called and let us know the 13-year-old scooter rider who had fled the scene, had since handed himself in.
After seeing the CCTV footage from the school, police estimated the boy was travelling at up to 50km/ph, in line with traffic on the roads.
‘They’re very remorseful,’ police told us, adding that they’d received a warning under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.
While Kelli and I were happy to hear the teen was sorry for what happened, it worried me that so many young people were operating the high-speed bikes without proper caution.
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We welcomed the new laws set in place by the Queensland government on July 1, introducing age limits and usage requirements for e-bikes and e-scooters.
It means children aged between 12 and 17 will only be able to ride an e-bike or e-scooter while being supervised by a parent, unless they hold a valid driver’s licence or learner driver licence.
Parents of children operating the devices illegally could be held responsible. Devices that exceed 25km/h are now also banned.
I’m hopeful the changes will make sure no other children are hurt the way Cooper was.
Today, Cooper is doing well despite his ongoing vision issues.
A fundraiser was set up to help fund his treatments, and we’ve had some generous donations – even from strangers.
His eyesight still hasn’t returned. They say once his pupil is no longer dilated, he could have his sight restored, but we haven’t seen any progress.
Our worst fear is that he will be permanently blind in his right eye.
Two months on from his ordeal, Cooper can’t wait to get back on his scooter and ride his bike, and he’s just started back at school.
I urge all parents of teens on e-bikes or scooters to tell them to slow down.
It could save a life.
To support Cooper, visit gofundme.com/f/akyub4-coopers-recovery
Kelli, 34, says:
‘Cooper is doing so much better now he has his cast off and is easing his way back into school. This was the scariest thing a mother could go through and, Cooper being my baby, I was in absolute panic not being able to be with him. I’m glad that new laws have come in. I hope no other family has to go through what we did.’
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