Badly hurt victim, 22, left lying in the road

Lewis Yale was taken to hospital after suffering multiple facial fractures and bleeding on the brain.

Many of his teeth have also been knocked out.

He was found lying in a road in Tividale, near Oldbury, after stepping off a bus coming home from work in the early hours of yesterday morning.

His devastated family today appealed for anyone with information to come forward as police try to piece together exactly what happened.

Lewis, who is 22 and lives in Tividale, had travelled home on the number 87 bus from his job working in hospitality at a local hotel.

It is his second job as he also works in the week for an alarms company in a bid to save enough money to allow him to go travelling.

While the exact circumstances leading up to his injuries remain unclear, it is believed he was found by an off-duty police officer in Dudley Road East, parts of which were closed by detectives yesterday morning.

West Midlands Police today said officers were looking into the possibility Mr Yates was either assaulted or involved in a collision.

His shocked family meanwhile posted pictures of his injuries on Facebook is a bid to appeal to people to come forward with information or jog their memories.

His family believe that he was either brutally assaulted or the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

A close relative, who did not wish to be named at this stage, told how family members have been at his bedside since he was rushed to Russells Hall Hospital.

"We just don't know what has happened," she said.

"We just don't know whether he has been run over or beaten up or what.

"He is quite seriously injured. That's why we wanted to do an appeal because we wanted to find out if anyone knows anything.

"We are asking for information because it will be difficult for him, should he recover fully, to move one without ever knowing what happened to him."

Mr Yale has suffered fractures to the front and back of his skull, his nose and both his eye sockets. He was continuing to receive treatment today.

The relative added: "He is such a lovely lad.

"He has been working two full time jobs just to afford to go travelling.

"One job in the day and one in the night and he is such a good lad.

"He looks after himself and is never any trouble."

Witnesses are asked if they remember Mr Yale, who was smartly dressed, getting off the number 87 bus moments before the incident happened. A 500-yard section of Dudley Road East was shut by officers from West Midlands Police.

Residents say the cordon was put in place around 9am yesterday to close the road between the junction of Roway Lane and Salop Street.

A police photographer has been taking pictures including of drains near a bus shelter in the road.

The relative added: "He is young and was smartly dressed and he still had his work clothes on which includes black trousers and black shoes.

"He has been working every hour god sends in order to go travelling.

"He is such a sweet person and wouldn't hurt anyone. He was just left in the road.

"All we know is that an off-duty police officer found him on his way home from work."

She added the family wanted to start a Facebook campaign to circulate images of him in his hospital bed in a bid to get answers.

"The pictures are shocking.

"The family have put it on Facebook to make someone come forward."

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said the community was in shock.

"There were some police cars going past at about midnight but the road was open this morning at 6am when I got up," they said yesterday. "It is a complete shock for all concerned. We just hope the lad gets better."

Forensic collision investigation officers have been among those to visit the scene to try and establish how Mr Yale was injured.

Officers had also made enquires were residents living directly opposite the site in a bid to gather vital clues.

West Midlands Police spokeswoman Catherine Hickman said Mr Yates was taken to hospital at around 12.25am.

She added: "He may have been assaulted or involved in a collision."

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has further information is asked to call Sandwell Police on 101.