NEW Hibs signing Jorge Claros has told how he drove himself to hospital with a bullet in his head after a terrifying armed ambush in his native Honduras.
An unknown attacker with a pistol blasted two rounds into the midfielder, nicknamed ‘Pitbull’, as he was driving with his wife Elsa.
The attack happened last June in the city of San Pedro Suala, where carjackings are commonplace.
But after driving to hospital the 26-year-old found his injuries were not as severe as he feared, and he was back on the field within a fortnight.
Claros spoke about the attack ahead of an SPL clash with Celtic on Sunday.
He will be playing against close friend and former Club Deportivo Motagua teammate Emilio Izaguirre.
He was playing for the club when the horrific attack happened.
The midfielder said: “My wife and I were dropping off a friend in the street in the early evening when these two people come from nowhere and started shooting with a handgun.
“I don’t know who they were, I’d never seen them before. It all happened so quickly and staying alive was more important at that moment.
“I saw one bullet hit the windscreen but I also had one stuck in my head and another in my shoulder.
“Elsa, as you can imagine, was terrified. She was in a state of shock at what happened. I managed to drive us to a hospital.
“Luckily, I wasn’t injured but it’s a miracle to be alive.”
He added: “I was so happy to be alive it inspired me even more to play football. I rested for 12 to 15 days and a month later I began playing football again.”
Claros still doesn’t know if the attack was an attempt to steal the Chevrolet he had just bought from Emilio Izaguirre, or a more personal attack on him as a high-profile footballer.
He had just dropped off a friend in San Pedro Suala when the gunfire erupted.
Claros was involved in a more unusual shooting in 2010 when goalkeeper Donalado Morales interrupted an interview he was having with a reporter by shooting the journalist three times with an airgun.
Caught in the crossfire, Claros was himself reported to be shot by an airgun pellet.
Morales was angry after the journalist, Saul Carranza, had written negative reviews of his performance on the pitch.
