Derbyshire road collision survivor thanks air ambulance for his life

Four years ago on May 23, Dave Farmer was a patient flown by Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Now retired and enjoying life as a grandfather, he says not a day goes by that he and his wife Kate don’t think about the local air ambulance and how different things could have been if he hadn’t been airlifted to hospital after being involved in a road traffic collision in a remote part of the Peak District.

Dave, 59, said: “We are just so grateful that I am still here and we can enjoy our retirement and grandchildren together.”

When the accident happened he was driving along Winatts Pass near Castleton, when he saw a car speeding towards him on the approach to a bend in the road. He pulled over immediately but this instinctive action wasn’t enough to avoid the near-fatal collision that followed when the car went into the air, zig-zagged out of control and bounced towards him.

In a split second Dave’s car was in flames after the oncoming vehicle flipped and landed on top of it.

Dave doesn’t remember anything about the impact and found out later that he was pulled out of his burning car before the flames took hold.

He was unconscious and had multiple injuries, including a fractured skull and collapsed lungs.

Within an hour of the accident happening in rural Derbyshire, Dave was being treated in the major trauma centre for his injuries.

By early evening, to the delight of his concerned family who were waiting at his bedside in intensive care, Dave was awoken from his induced coma which had commenced at the incident site.

He has been left with some loss of hearing and vision, acquired dyslexia and ongoing problems with his wrist and fingers – but does not complain.

He said: “The main thing is that I am still alive. My overriding emotion after everything is that I am very grateful to be here. I am lucky to be alive and people should know that it is all down to the air ambulance.”