‘Motorists ignored my pleas for help’

A FARMER whose car skidded off the road and flipped upside down claims up to 15 motorists ignored his desperate pleas for help.

Paul McGowan was commuting along the A94 between Forfar and Glamis on Thursday morning when he lost control of his car due to wintry conditions.

The vehicle veered off the road into a ditch and flipped over, leaving the 29-year-old suspended upside down.

He said: “I was on the Glamis road, just past the Forfar McDonald’s heading towards Glamis Castle, travelling at about 40mph.

“My back wheels slipped so I tried to adjust for it but I completely lost control of the car – that’s when I knew I was in for a ride.

“I went off a 5ft verge and the car went down on its nose before rolling on to the passenger side, then its roof.

“The whole time I was getting thrown about like mad inside the car.

“When I came to, I realised that I was hanging by my seatbelt, which I thankfully had on. I undid it and fell on to the roof.

“I tried to get out of the door but it was locked, like it was stuck shut, so I had to kick it out.

“At first I didn’t really notice any pain, I had so much adrenaline going through me that it was all I could really focus on, but later on it got me and I started to notice that I was a bit sore.”

Paul attempted to flag down nearby cars for help.

He said: “About 10 or 15 cars drove by me while I was standing there, and I didn’t have my phone to call anyone.

“There’s not much I could have done to prevent the crash but my advice to people would be to stop more.

“If I had been unconscious then that first car could have saved my life.

“I was very noticeable – people could have at least stopped to see if I was OK.

“When nobody stops it just panics you more.”

Eventually a car pulled over and the driver took Paul home so he could get his phone and contact the police and his family.

Paul, a pig farmer from Forfar, also visited hospital for some minor injuries sustained in the crash.

He added: “Obviously, the car is completely written off.

“I’m hoping the insurance will cover some of the cost but right now I’m more focused on getting another one so I can get back and forth from work.

“Right now I’m just taking it easy with a few days rest but after that I’ll have to get back to work.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland said officers responded to reports of the vehicle being off-road.

He said: “Around 7.15am on Thursday January 14, police received a report of a car off the road at the A94 near Forfar.

“Officers attended and traced the driver of the car. An ambulance was not required.” n Warning of more snow chaos – see page 9.