On July 27 last year Rebecca O’Malley, 31, a speech and language therapist, was walking along the pavement with her flatmate when they suddenly heard a “loud revving” noise
Eleanor Fleming, PA Real Life
08:34, 08 Oct 2025
Irishwoman Rebecca O’Malley who was run over by a car and left with injuries that felt like “torture”, has no recollection of the event but is “grateful” to be alive
A young Irishwoman who was hit by a car, thrown onto the bonnet and then run over says she sustained injuries that felt like “torture” but is “grateful” to be alive.
On July 27 last year Rebecca O’Malley, 31, a speech and language therapist who lives in London, was walking along the pavement with her flatmate when they suddenly heard a “loud revving” noise.
A driver lost control of their vehicle and mounted the pavement, colliding with them at speed while they were walking to Clapham Common.
Although Rebecca has no memory of what happened, accounts from others and injuries she sustained suggest she was hit by the car, thrown onto the bonnet and then went under the moving vehicle, suffering “distressing” injuries.
Members of the public rushed to Rebecca’s aid, including an off-duty A&E nurse, who she describes as her “guardian angel”, before emergency services treated her at the scene.
At hospital, it was confirmed her injuries included broken ribs, skull fractures, a shoulder injury, a dislocated hip, spinal fractures and severe road rash, and when she came around, she said it felt like she was in a “torture chamber”.
She remained ventilated for two weeks and in the intensive care unit for a month, before moving to the trauma and orthopaedic ward, and she had several surgeries before starting her rehabilitation journey and learning how to walk again.
Now, more than a year later, the University of Galway graduate is back at work, has started running again and she has described her recovery as “miraculous”.
Reflecting on the past year, Rebecca said: “In the early days, I was literally looking at my arms and thinking, ‘I am so lucky I have my arms’.
“It was just this massive gratitude for literally being present and still breathing.
“You’re grateful for every step you take, you’re grateful to come home and catch up with your friends and family, you’re grateful to move your body.”
Rebecca said she is now living a relatively “normal life”, just with “lots of scarring”.
She still has regular rehabilitation sessions and struggles with pain and fatigue, but she is now back working full time.
Speaking about her advice to others dealing with injuries, she said: “You can only focus on the there and now each day, what can you do and what’s within your control.
“Try to focus on those small steps, not the big event that you are envisioning, and seek support when you need it. Be kind to yourself as you’re trying to figure out this new chapter of your life.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.