Crash girl is impaled
A teenage schoolgirl has survived being speared by a piece of fence post in a horrific road smash on the outskirts of Stafford. A teenage schoolgirl has survived being speared by a piece of fence post in a horrific road smash on the outskirts of Stafford. Rescuers have praised the courage of the 14-year-old, who remained conscious throughout a delicate 50-minute operation to get her out of the crashed Ford Fiesta. One rescuer said that had the post gone an inch to its left, it would have been a lot worse. The girl was rushed to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire with the three-foot piece of post still embedded in her chest. Read the full story in the Express & Star.
Rescuers have praised the courage of the 14-year-old, who remained conscious throughout a delicate 50-minute operation to get her out of the crashed Ford Fiesta.
One rescuer said that had the post gone an inch to its left, it would have been a lot worse.
The girl was rushed to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire with the three-foot piece of post still embedded in her chest.
Crew commander Alastair Judkins, of Stafford Fire Station, said that throughout the rescue the teenager kept asking how the driver was. "She is a very brave girl," he said.
The accident happened on a notorious stretch of the Stafford to Eccleshall road, just outside the village of Creswell, at about 7.45 last night. Campaigners have been trying to get speed cameras on the stretch, which has claimed two lives in recent years.
Local parish councillor Richard Thomas said an irony was the problem was being discussed at a meeting as the accident happened. "We are exploring every avenue to see what can be done about it," he said.
The car was travelling towards Eccleshall when it left the road on a left-hand bend and went through a hedge into a field. It appears to have ripped up the fence post which went through the screen and into the girl's chest, miraculously missing any vital organs.
"We used hydraulic cutting equipment to take the roof off, then we assisted the paramedics to get the girl out," said Mr Judkins. "It was a joint operation and the girl was conscious throughout the 50 minutes.
"She was very shaken and shocked and in a bad way really, but she was talking to us, asking about the driver and responding to questions," he added.
Mr Judkins said the 17-year-old male driver declined hospital treatment. It is thought the two were from the Barlaston area. Two appliances and the rescue tender from Stafford turned out to the smash and 11 crew members took part in the rescue operation.
Fire officer Stan Cooper added: "The girl had a very lucky escape – the post went through the right-hand side of the chest, if it had gone any further left she would not have been so lucky." The girl was today said to be in a "stable" condition in hospital.
The busy stretch of road at Creswell has witnessed a number of serious collisions. Pop group manager John McMahon, who looked after acts including Girls Aloud, died when his car crashed on Christmas Day, 2002.