Christopher Hope has recalled a heartbreaking story about when his mother-in-law was killed in a bus crash.
Mr Hope’s wife Sarah and daughter Pollyanna were also hit by the bus in the 2007 incident but, while they suffered serious injuries, both survived.
Speaking on GB News’ Talking Pints with Nigel Farage, the Daily Telegraph’s associate editor spoke out about what he and his family have done to cope with the trauma since.
He told GB News: “In April 2007, a bus went out of control in southwest London where we were living and it did hit my wife Sarah and our daughter Pollyanna and Sarah’s mum.
Christopher Hope
GB News
“It killed Sarah’s mum, Pollyanna lost her leg and Sarah was badly injured. And your world just atomises.
“I was at the office at the Telegraph, ran out, went back and tried to deal with an appalling situation at the scene.
“I was trying to get childcare in for the kids, my parents live in Liverpool, it was a disaster.
“Time slowed down as I got through that period."
Mr Hope speaking to Nigel Farage
GB News
He continued: “We haven’t really reflected too much on it, we talk about it and I wrote about it in the Telegraph. That was hugely cathartic for me.
“Readers sponsored Sarah to run the half marathon, that led to about £120,000 being raised.
“We took some of that money, gave it to different charities and then we set up our own charities called Elizabeth Legacy of Hope, which raises money for amputee kids in India and Africa.
“And Sarah, she’s amazing, she campaigns for running blades on the NHS. Previously the NHS gave you wooden legs if you’re an amputee to get you mobile.
“But money from George Osborne in two budgets, they paid money for running blades for kids to run around and play with their friends.
“And Sarah has set up the Sarah Hope Line, which works with bus drivers to make the roads safer. “