Stephen Regan, from Greater Manchester, was a passenger in a car travelling through Bolton when the car collided with a tree, head-on.
As the car hit the tree with some speed, the engine and other parts were forced into the passenger compartment, trapping Stephen in his seat.
The incident took place in July 2023 at 9 pm and due to the severity of the incident, the North West Air Ambulance Charity’s (NWAA) ‘night car’ was dispatched immediately.
When the Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic arrived, the fire service was still trying to release Stephen from the car. It took them over an hour and a half to free him and by this point, he had lost a lot of blood.
The NWAA crew administered a blood transfusion, as well as giving him limb and pelvis splints to prevent further blood loss.
Dr Ian, Consultant Doctor at NWAA, who treated Stephen said: “The severity of the damage to the car meant it took the fire service an hour and a half to free Stephen, during which time his condition had deteriorated significantly, becoming more agitated and then unresponsive.
“He’d lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion right away. Early blood transfusions can be the difference between life and death. For Stephen, this was crucial to his survival.”
Stephen’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he needed enhanced pre-hospital interventions.
The crew put Stephen into an induced coma at the scene and made a small surgical incision into Stephen’s chest wall to allow the release of air build-up in his lungs.
Stephen was then taken to Salford Royal Hospital, accompanied by the NWAA crew. After four weeks in a coma, Stephen kept defying the odds and was discharged in October 2023.
Looking back on the incident, Stephen says “Thank you to the crew at the charity for saving my life, with their quick thinking and performance – in what must have been a very high-pressure situation.
“I was written off all the way but the decisions they made have given me more time with my family and children.”
