Couple 'seen in ice-scrape car'

Caroline Johnson's husband has urged people to come forward

Detectives hunting a car thief who left a mother fighting for her life in hospital are investigating sightings of a couple travelling in the stolen car.

Caroline Johnson, 46, was scraping ice from her car in Langley in Slough, Berkshire, when a man jumped in and drove off, running her over.

She was dragged up to 20m (65ft) under the vehicle.

Police said witnesses saw a black man driving the car nearby in an "erratic manner", with a female passenger.

Mrs Johnson was injured as she prepared to take her son to school on Tuesday morning.

Five operations

She has smashed hips, a four-inch hole in one of her legs, her pelvis and lungs have been crushed and at one point her heart stopped beating.

The mother-of-four is in a critical but stable condition in Wexham Park Hospital where she faces five operations.

It was originally thought that the offender was a white man in his 30s, and officers said that had not been discounted.

However, witnesses have come forward to report seeing the black man driving the car in High Street, Langley.

Some witnesses also reported seeing a passenger in the car, possibly a black or Asian woman.

Mrs Johnson's husband said the incident had left him and his sons Jason, 13, and 17-year-old David, "devastated and in shock".

She wants to live and she's not going to give up Mark Collins, husband

Lorry driver Mark Collins, 51, said he was praying that his seriously-injured wife would recover.

"No-one can believe what's happened," said Mr Collins.

"Life's there one minute and then... it's taken away. The whole house is empty without Caroline.

"The dogs are pining for her. Our Jack Russell, Daisy, is waiting for her at the door. I'm not remotely religious but I'm praying."

"The boys are in shock but they are bearing up. They're strong lads."

Mr Collins said he is hopeful she will recover.

"Her head is okay," he said. "We have been communicating with her and she can blink her eyes.

"Caroline's a strong girl. When we were talking to her today she could hear us and we made her laugh.

"She wants to live and she's not going to give up."

Mr Collins has made an appeal for help to catch the thief, who abandoned the champagne-coloured Citroen Picasso nearby in George Green, Buckinghamshire.