Rider thrown from Harley Davidson in catastrophic crash ‘would be …

A motorcyclist spent five weeks in a coma after she pulled out in front of a lorry and suffered catastrophic injuries. Helen Nuttall, from Loughborough,^[1] was sent flying off her Harley Davidson and was immediately knocked unconscious with multiple injuries to her neck, head, spine, ribs, punctured lungs and bruising to her heart.

She had to be treated at the scene of the crash, in Hinckley, by an air ambulance crew, who she said saved her life. Helen’s bike went under the wheels of the lorry, and she was tossed to the side of the road, bleeding profusely.

The air ambulance crew from Warwickshire and Northamptonshire attended the incident, in October 2018, within eight minutes of the call out. Helen said their quick response made “the difference between [her] surviving and dying at the roadside” and today says “words will never be enough to thank them.

She said: “For every morning I get to wake up I say thank you. Words will never be enough to say how grateful I truly am to them for saving my life. The doctor and paramedic were able to make decisions and perform procedures that made the difference between me surviving and dying at the roadside.

“I pulled out of a junction straight in front of a lorry. I looked both ways but should have checked again. If I had taken a bit more time and done a second check the accident would not have happened.”

Air ambulances routinely carry senior doctors and consultants on board, in essence taking the hospital to the patient and allowing them to provide advanced treatment on scene. The helicopter landed in a field near the industrial estate where Helen had turned out of the entrance to a motorbike shop when the collision happened.

As Helen’s helmet was still on and her airway partially obstructed, the crew had to work fast to clear it so she could breathe. One of her lungs had partially collapsed so a thoracostomy procedure was performed to remove air that had leaked into her chest cavity.

Due to the seriousness of her condition, it was decided to transport her by road to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire – the nearest major trauma centre – so the air ambulance doctor accompanied her in a land ambulance. It was there that she was put on a life support machine and spent five weeks in a coma.

Air Ambulance helicopters can reach speeds of 185 mph. (Image: The Air Ambulance Service)

She underwent two major operations which saved her right leg and right arm during that time and spent a further four months in hospital after regaining consciousness. She endured intense physiotherapy sessions which started in bed and when she could bear weight on her leg she had to learn to walk again.

“I had to relearn to do all the things I had taken for granted from using a knife and fork to washing and dressing myself,” she said. When she left hospital in a wheelchair Helen was told that it would take her two years to be able to work and drive.

Helen has gone back to work since the incident but as her right side is now made up of titanium implants, she might never get to ride a motorcycle again – although she said her Harley Davidson was still her “biggest love”. Before the incident, Helen had raised money for the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) and hopes people will continue to do the same.

“Every day I get to wake up and enjoy the world, I celebrate. I’ve been learning to walk again since my accident and I have had to accept the fact that I’m disabled. But I’m alive and I owe it to all the people who cared for and treated me,” she said.

She added: “If anyone thinks the air ambulance is a luxury, I can say it’s a necessity. Without the crew, I would be dead, simple as that. I raised money for the charity never knowing I would need it, you just never know what’s around the corner.”

WNAA is encouraging people to visit its charity stores donate unwanted clothing to one of many clothing banks, get involved in a challenge event, and fundraise to ensure it can keep saving lives.

References

^{^} from Loughborough, (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^{^} Contactless toilet payment scheme slammed ‘money down the drain’ (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)