A COUPLE involved in a horrific crash in Grimethorpe have spoken of the terrifying experience for the first time after being filmed for a television show about Barnsley Hospital’s accident and emergency department.
Gail and Steve Fairhurst were travelling along Park Spring Road earlier this year when they were hit head-on by another car.
The crash caused their car to roll several times, before it landed on its roof.
The were helped out of the car by passing motorists, and shocking dash-cam footage of the incident later revealed the impact of the crash.
Gail, 58, of Grimethorpe, told the Chronicle: “The car in front of us had a split second and managed to swerve, but we didn’t have time to move. We didn’t even see it, the driver was doing in excess of 80 miles per hour.
“But I remember it all, it hitting us, the car rolling, and ending up on the roof. It was like being inside a washing machine, that’s the only way I can describe it.
“They got Steve out first and he was in and out of consciousness. He couldn't move and they thought he had hurt his back but it turned out to be his foot in the end. He was carried away on a spinal board.
“I couldn’t move my arm, and I couldn’t walk or stand so they put me in a wheelchair.”
The couple were taken to Barnsley Hospital where they agreed to be filmed for the Channel 5 television show Casualty 24/7, the second episode of which aired on Wednesday.
They were extremely lucky not to have been more seriously injured Gail suffered a dislocated finger, severe swelling and bruising on her ribs, knees and arm, and Steve had broken his foot in seven places. However, Gail is still having problems with her knees and her finger.
The couple had been due to go on holiday to Benidorm to celebrate Steve’s 60th birthday, but had to cancel. When they eventually did go to Benidorm a couple of months later, they were still in too much pain to do anything.
The driver who crashed into them was given a £120 fine and a 12-month ban.
Through tears, Gail said: “I’m so thankful that we are still here. It could've been so much worse for the kids, they could have lost both of us.
“The staff at Barnsley Hospital have been fantastic.”
Wednesday’s episode was the second of four, and showed how medics were forced to juggle extra patients when several nurses called in sick.
Nurse Tom Neild used his energy and charm to get the team to commit to extra shifts to cover those off ill. Sister Benita Wainwright responds and is immediately called to the resuscitation unit to treat a woman who’d had a serious fall and was hypothermic.
Consultant Julian Humphrey’s patient was critically ill with undiagnosed symptoms and he had to rely on his experience for the right treatment.
In the paediatric emergency bays, nurse Catherine Wainwright helped baby George who was suffering with constipation, and volunteer Jane Allen was on hand to help lighten the workload of the over-stretched team.
But as patient numbers rose, the pressure took its toll on Sister Benita Wainwright, and she was admitted to a bay for treatment herself before being sent home for some well-earned rest.
You can still watch the programme on Channel 5’s catch up service, available via its website and app.
