Baby escapes injury after A-board smashes into car

10:52am Wednesday 5th March 2008

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A five-week-old baby escaped serious injury when a pub A-board smashed into the side of the car being driven by her mother.

Heidi Bylinski, aged 34, was returning home from a shopping trip with baby Lucy, who was strapped in the passenger seat, when it happened.

Shocked teacher Heidi said the child could have been killed by the sign, sent flying by a gust of wind from the front of the Bay Horse, in Preston Road, Whittle-le-Woods.

And the tearful mum explained that the terrifying incident was all the more distressing, as in October 2006 she lost a baby boy, born 27 weeks prematurely.

Now she is locked in an insurance wrangle with the pub, which she has slammed for "not even saying sorry".

Heidi, of Anderton Crescent, Buckshaw Village, said: "I was just in shock, the baby was in the passenger seat. She could have been killed.

"I don't want to get back in my car now. I'm scared.

"I rang my partner Mike and my sister. They couldn't understand what I was saying, I was in so much shock and tears.

"Another inch and it would have come through the passenger side window onto the seat where the baby was.

"I'm having flashbacks every time when I get up to feed Lucy in the night, just thinking what happened.

"She's just very very precious.

"I couldn't bury another child."

The frightening ordeal happened as Heidi was returning from Asda at Clayton Green on Friday.

"The sign just came flying to the car," she said. "I carried on driving and pulled in at Truffles Restaurant. I was just expecting a little scratch, but when I saw the damage I was just in shock."

Heidi, who teaches at Highfield Primary School, Chorley, reckons the board could have caused up to £1,000 worth of damage to her Fiat Punto, after smashing into her wing and hitting her wing mirror.

She said it landed in the road and that cars were forced to swerve round it. She took photographs of scene on her mobile and Mike, a software engineer, took the board home. She said her insurance company Direct Line told her to keep the board as evidence, and she reported the incident to the police who said they could not get involved it as it was a civil matter.

But later that night, Heidi and Mike got a call from the police investigating the alleged theft of the board.

Heidi stormed: "The landlady was more interested in having her sign back. She's not once apologised. I'm just so angry.

"I couldn't understand why they couldn't even say sorry. They said it was just the wind and it was with their insurance. It is just frustrating they are not accepting responsibility."

The pub declined to comment other than to say the matter was being dealt with by their insurance company.

A county council spokesman said: "If the board was not on the pavement, it is not an issue for Lancashire County Council, it is a matter for the pub owners and insurance company to sort out."