'I am forever indebted to you': Northampton dad's heartfelt letter to Scottish Ambulance Service crews after horror crash
Matt Jones, 40, was driving on the A82, just south of South Laggan, near Invergarry in the Highlands, with his eight-year-old son Jack in the back seat when he collided with a car.
The dad has spoken for the first time about the accident, which he recalls little about, praising Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) for saving his life.
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Hide AdIn a letter sent to the SAS crews, Matt wrote: “I can't really begin to describe the gratitude I feel, and will always feel to you for what you did for myself and my son Jack, on that day, there are times in life where words can't really convey enough.
“You did an amazing job and I am stunned, having seen photos of the car, that I wasn't killed outright.”
He added: “I wish all of you the best of luck in all you do and every success in life.
"I am forever indebted to you for this second crack at life - it's the greatest gift I've ever received.
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Hide AdSpeaking about the crash on May 27 this year, Matt says all he remembers is waking up in hospital the following day
"The first week in hospital was a blur - I was on very strong painkillers," he said.
"I went from never having broken bone in my body to breaking an awful lot."
Matt broke his right ankle, his left femur, his pelvis and seven ribs.
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Hide AdHe also burst his spleen, the metacarpal bones in his left hand, and his right humerus in his shoulder “shattered into pieces”.
His son, who was in the back seat, “got off lightly”, only suffering a cut to his cheek.
The SAS dispatched several crews to the scene; they included paramedic team leader Andy Davidson, Gary Blackmore and Clare Macleod, both paramedics, who are all based at Fort William station.
Alan Knox, area service manager, also attended along with the Coastguard helicopter and an A&E trauma nurse from the Belford Hospital.
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Hide AdAfter seeing the wreckage of his car, he said he was “horrified" to see the aftermath.
“It did not look like there was space for a human being," said Matt.
"The front side of the driver’s side had gone. I think seeing the car was when I realised how bad the accident was.”
Andy Davidson, 53, paramedic team leader at Fort William Ambulance Station, was first on the scene.
He said: "His car had frontal damage and the patient was trapped in the driver’s seat for about an hour.
"The whole front of the car had come forward to his legs; the compartment was crushed."