Dad ‘lucky to be alive’ after being dragged 100m in terrifying carjacking

A dad who was dragged for around 100 metres onto a busy dual carriageway during a horrifying carjacking has said he is lucky to be alive.

Kevin Watts spoke to BirminghamLive from his bed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital as he relived the terrifying ordeal, which has left him facing months in a wheelchair.

He said he became "stuck under the back wheel" after a man jumped into his Vauxhall Insignia at Sainsbury's petrol station at Castle Vale on Friday, November 10. 

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Kevin was putting air into his passenger-side tyre when he heard the doors lock and the engine start.

"It's push-button to start the engine," said the 42-year-old. "I shot up and saw a guy sitting in the driving seat and then all hell broke loose."

The Jaguar Land Rover maintenance technician was knocked down by the carjacker before getting stuck beneath the back wheel and dragged along the busy Chester Road. He said: "Because it's front-wheel drive, I was wedged by the wheel which wasn't turning. I was just skidding along with it.

"I remember actively trying to avoid letting my head hit the floor. I was screaming 'stop', which he eventually did, and I managed to pull myself away from the car before he drove off."

Kevin, who has a partner and a four-year-old son, said: "The police watched the CCTV and told me some officers couldn't watch it back because it was so traumatic. One said she was amazed I was alive.

"I feel so lucky to still be here and to have avoided head trauma." The brave dad has already undergone surgery for skin grafts