Sister hears crash and runs to help brother after horrific lorry crash in Cambridgeshire 'I felt it must be him'

A WOMAN helped her twin brother escape from his car moments after he was involved in a horrific crash outside their Cambridgeshire home.

Kim French rushed to the scene outside her March house after hearing the crash - and climbed in through the sun roof of the crushed car to get to her brother Chris.

'I could not see him at first, because he was sprawled over the passenger side of the car,' said Kim, 29.

'It was an awful moment when I first saw the car under the lorry, but I realised he was alive because he was making moaning noises.

'Instinct just took over, anyone would have done the same thing; I did not have a moment's hesitation, I knew I had got to be with him.'

Kim and Chris are the children of Fenland councillor Jan French, who is now calling for a 30mph speed limit to be introduced outside their family home on the A142 at Westry.

Chris was airlifted to Addenhbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge after the accident; he suffered a fractured pelvis, vertebrae and ribs.

'The good news is that he does not need an operation,' said Kim. 'He will need another five weeks in hospital, when he is not allowed to get up at all. He will need four to six weeks of intensive physiotherapy, but they seem to think he will be back driving within 12 weeks.'

Re-living the accident, Kim said she was in her bedroom when she heard the accident.

'I felt it must be him involved, it was his normal time for getting home. I just rushed out to be with him.'

Kim climbed through the Peugeot 106's smashed sun roof, so she could get the door unlocked; and off-duty police officer Tylo Pearce managed to get him out.

She added: 'Chris was conscious for the whole time, but remembers nothing between driving through Chatteris and being in the helicopter.

'He was not really responding because he was so out of it, but he was moaning. His seat belt was holding him in, and he wanted it undone. The seats had been pushed together, but I managed to undo the belt at the first attempt.'

He was taken from the car before the emergency services arrived, because his mother had feared that a fuel leak would lead to a fire.

Kim said:'I was very relieved when the paramedics and then the helicopter arrived.

'The only thing Chris was complaining of was a bash to his leg, we were not sure where the blood was coming from, but it was only one gash. He knows he is lucky to be alive, and he has seen all the pictures of the crash. He just wants to get better and get back home.'

The collision took place just days after a similar collision close to the entrance of Fenmarc Produce involving three cars, one of which was driven by farmer John Martin who also lives in Wisbech Road.

Cllr French, a former Mayor of March, said: 'A police officer told me that not one week goes by without a collision of some kind along this road. I cannot imagine how much it costs to send police, doctors, the fire brigade and sometimes the air ambulance here every week.

'If this is happening on a weekly basis then something must be done. Westry is a village and needs a 30mph speed limit.

'Myself, my husband Mick and Kim have had many near misses on this road because sometimes people don't realise that we are stopping. I have to indicate very early and pump my brakes so my brake lights flash to make sure I am safe.'

Cllr French also praised the officer who stopped at the scene to pull Chris out of his car.

She said: 'Kim and I insisted that he pulled Chris out despite his injuries and we want to thank him for his help.'

The driver of the lorry, from Derbyshire, was uninjured in the collision. The A141 was closed for more than four hours as a result of the crash.

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Pc Steve Edwards said: 'We believe there were several other cars in the area at the time and we are asking for the drivers to get in touch.

'We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the vehicles involved in the moments leading up to it.

Contac PC Edwards on 0345 456 4564.