Seriously injured cyclist pulled out from under car by five locals

Words by Chrissy Marshall-Bell

A cyclist who suffered a multitude of injuries last week had his life saved after five men worked together to free him from underneath a car.

Paul Williamson, 46, was trapped under a car in Hartlepool last week after being hit. Williamson suffered a broken pelvis and sternum, two cracked ribs, a tear in his liver and a collapsed lung and was placed in a coma at the nearby Middlesbrough James Cook Hospital to help with the pain levels. Fortunately, local residents were on hand to assist him.

Three of the men, Darran and Owen Atter and John Miller, explained how they and two other unnamed men cut off his rucksack which was preventing sufficient breathing, jacked up the vehicle, and talked to Paul to prevent him losing consciousness

John told the Hartlepool Mail that he thought Paul “was on the verge of death” and Darran commented, “We were just trying to keep talking to him and keep him awake until the emergency services came.”

Paul’s brother, Mark, said: “I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. Paul’s girlfriend is absolutely over the moon, my mother is over the moon and I still have a brother and my kids still have an uncle Paul.”

Cleveland Police are investigating the incident.