A lorry driver from Darlington suffered terrible chest injuries after an 8ft pole speared him narrowly missing his heart.
The work accident happened on 19th August last year. Jason Ripley drove into a horizontal barrier that was hidden by a bush. The pole hit the bonnet of his lorry and smashed through the windscreen, the pole entered Ripley’s chest and pinned him to the back of the cab.
Ripley soon noticed that no-one had witnessed the accident so he quickly called his boss for help. He said: “I was driving through a gateway from one part of the industrial estate to another when it happened.”
“The pole was the gateway and was hanging loose but had been almost covered by overgrown bushes. As I drove through the gateway the pole caught the truck, bounced onto the cab and went through the windscreen.”
“My colleagues were only a few hundred yards away so I phoned them first because it was easier to explain where I was than it would have been to the emergency services.”
“It was strange because I didn’t feel much pain at all. I had a rib removed and two others tied together and I’ve also got a shoulder injury which I will probably have for life.”
Jason was cut out of the lorry by firefighters, talking about the experience he said “That was the worst bit, when they clamped the jaws of the cutters on the pole and it started turning inside me”
“It was strange when I saw it turning, but by that stage I just wanted to get it out of there. Even when they put me in the helicopter there was still about four feet of pole going through me.”
Ripley was airlifted to James Cook Hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance service. Mr Ripley has released the photographs taken at the scene to try and help raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance.
He said: “It makes you appreciate what you’ve got.”
“It’s clear to me without the Great North Air Ambulance I would have died.”
“If they aren’t there people will die. I will be indebted to them forever. It took more than an hour to get me out of the truck. Without the helicopter I don’t think It’s have survived the trip to hospital.”
“I can’t thank the GNAA, the doctors and the rescue team enough. They are all truly amazing.”
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