Driver hurt after M40 lorry crash

[dutchman]

A driver has been taken to hospital after two lorries overturned on a motorway.

The lorry driver, thought to be in his 40s, was trapped in his cab for 30 minutes after the incident on the M40 north bound, between junctions 15 and 16 at around 5.15pm on Saturday.

Ambulance crews arrived to find two lorries that had been in a serious collision, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said.

"Both vehicles had overturned and were on their side on the motorway", he said.

The driver was treated at the scene for chest injuries after being released from his cab by fire crews.

He was then immobilised using a spinal board and neck collar and taken to The Alexandra Hospital in Redditch for further treatment.

Three people who were travelling in the second lorry, which also overturned, were also checked over at the scene.

A man believed to be in his 40s, a woman believed to be in her 20's, and a girl who was around seven years old were then taken to Warwick Hospital as a precaution, the spokesman added.

No further details of the crash have been released

[dutchman]

Driver 'lucky to be alive' after M40 horror crash blaze



By the time the father of two was dragged from the wreckage a quarter of his body was covered in burns.

But thanks to the rapid treatment he received from paramedics, Paul has made a remarkable recovery – and on the first anniversary of the accident he visited Warwick Ambulance Station to thank the crew for saving his life.

Mr Mizen said: “In my eyes ambulance staff are true unsung heroes. I wanted to come back and say thank you to them personally.

“Ambulance service staff do a wonderful job that usually goes unnoticed and I am extremely fortunate not to have lost my life in that crash.”

Paul was delivering fresh doughnuts in November last year and was battling through bad weather near Gaydon on the M40.

At around 6am his van was hit from behind as he sat stationary in snow. It was crushed between two giant lorries and caught fire.

Thankfully nearby motorists managed to drag him clear of the fireball, but not before he suffered extensive burns to the left side of his body, including his arm, head and torso, and internal burns from smoke inhalation.

When paramedics arrived they treated Paul with specialist burns packs before taking him straight to the regional burns centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, saving valuable time.

Paul, from Ashford in Middlesex, said: “I remember the impact, then the fear and reality of being trapped, before the HGV in front was moved, enabling me to free my foot.

“I obviously suffered serious burns and was in excruciating pain.”

Paul was treated at the scene by paramedic Andy Hall, emergency care practitioner Mandy Morrice and student paramedic Chris Salt.

Andy said: “When we arrived at the crash it was a scene of utter carnage. The van was on fire in between two HGVs.

“Thankfully Mr Mizen had been pulled from his vehicle and was around 100ft away but it was obvious he was seriously injured as he lay on the motorway.”

Paul spent nearly eight weeks in critical care and more than three months in hospital, undergoing several skin grafts.

Visiting the ambulance crews this week he treated staff to a supply of the same fresh doughnuts he was delivering at the time of the accident.

Mandy said: “We don’t often get to see patients again and see how their recovery is going. It’s always satisfying to see that they have made a good recovery and we have made a small difference to their life.”