Peterborough father-of-six who suffered life-changing injuries in crash thanks rescuers

A Peterborough father-of-six who suffered life changing injuries in a serious collision has thanked a Special Constable who saved his life.
Anwar and LibaAnwar and Liba
Anwar and Liba

When Special Constable Tom Guy was called to a collision in Cambridge at 6am one morning he was expecting a run-of-the-mill shunt or minor injury crash. But the scene he and a colleague faced after arriving on blue lights will live with him for the rest of his life.

A Mini Cooper had gone into the back of a delivery van in Newmarket Road, just as the driver was unloading loaves of bread from the back.

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The victim, 46-year-old father-of-six Anwar Ahmed, had been forced under his own van by the force of the collision and had suffered serious injuries.

Tom GuyTom Guy
Tom Guy

Tom, 22, who had only passed out as a Special six weeks prior to the crash, said: “There was a man in the road with a couple of people stood around him. There was lots of blood and I could make out body parts on the floor.

“He had a substantial laceration to his right side and his internal organs were showing. How he had survived I don’t know.

“His leg was hanging off and his right femur was broken clean in half but he was still conscious and breathing which was remarkable.

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“I heard over the radio that the ambulance was five minutes away but I remember thinking, if it’s going to take that long they may as well not bother. It didn’t look good with the amount of blood he was losing.”

Tom GuyTom Guy
Tom Guy

Tom’s training kicked in and while his colleague called for more support he kept pressure on the leg wound.

When his colleague could take over pressure on the wound, Tom supported the Anwar’s head, kept him talking and did everything he could to keep him calm – knowing that a raised pulse would cause him to lose blood more quickly.

Magpas paramedics arrived and took Anwar away in an ambulance to hospital. Before going off shift at 9am, Tom heard to his relief that Anwar was still alive.

A couple of days later Tom went to visit him in hospital.

Tom GuyTom Guy
Tom Guy
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“He was alive but in a coma. My colleague and I wanted closure because the image we had of him was horrific and we want to see him in a better condition.

“Three months later we met him and his wife. He’d gone from a man of average build to being very skinny and had lost his leg. He had been in hospital for a very long time.

“He and his wife were both very grateful.”

Tom’s actions on that May morning in 2014 have since been commended by the doctor and first paramedic on the scene and both agree they saved the victim’s life.

Tom GuyTom Guy
Tom Guy

And last month, they were further recognised when he received a Royal Humane Society Award at a ceremony at force HQ at Huntingdon.

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The “assisting in saving a life” award was presented by Deputy Chief Constable Alan Baldwin.

Anwar, who now lives in Longthorpe, Peterborough, has been in intensive care three times since the incident and counts himself extremely lucky to be alive.

He said: “It has had a massive impact on my live and also my family. My wife went through it all and now has to run around looking after me. I have to have a carer as well.

“The kids are suffering too, seeing me like this and there’s things I used to do for them that I can’t now, like taking them out. It is hard.

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“I have to live with it and get on with life. Tom was a life-saver. He came to me twice in hospital as well. I can’t forget what he did.”

Tom added: “I’m very proud to have been able to help him.

“I would recommend the role of Special to anyone. I am now a PC and will pass out, following my training, in five weeks.

“Being a Special makes you feel part of your community and it gives you life skills, like the confidence of speaking to people.”

In April last year a man was jailed for 15 months and banned from driving after being convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

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