Kentish Express Ashford & District
Driver: ‘Without them, I would not be here today’
A man who nearly died when he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed head-on into a lorry has relived his terrifying ordeal.
Simon Oakley, of Pett’s Lane, Charing, was in a coma for six days, spent weeks in a major trauma hospital and was told he would never walk again.
This week, 11 months since the horror crash changed his world forever, he was reunited with the heroic team who saved his life.
Simon, 47, was travelling home after a night shift on Monday, January 11, when he turned into the A251 in Faversham. That was the last thing he remembers.
Simon said: “The rest is a blur. The next thing I remember is I was woken up out of the coma on the Friday night with my best mate standing at the bottom of my bed.
“I didn’t know where I was and what had gone on. It was terrifying and very confusing – none of it made any sense.
“I had ended up underneath the front of the lorry.” It is believed Simon had fallen asleep at the wheel of his silver Vauxhall Corsa and collided head-on with a lorry.
Fire crews, paramedics and an air ambulance arrived at the scene and the road was closed for more than eight hours.
Despite the courageous efforts of the emergency crews, Simon’s injuries were thought to be lifethreatening, and he was airlifted to King’s College Hospital in London. His left knee, right leg, femur, pelvis, a bone in his lower back and hand were all badly broken in the crash.
He underwent numerous operations to insert pins in both of his legs and at one point, he had to be resuscitated on the operating table. After spending six weeks in King’s, Simon was transferred to the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, where he spent 11 weeks.
Simon said: “I didn’t know whether I would be able to walk again and I was using a wheelchair for months, but in November I started walking and driving again, and I can do most things that I did not think would be possible.
“It’s had a very traumatic impact on my life, and I will have a permanent disability and suffer pain for the rest of my life.
“I’ve been off work for 10 months, have had to move to sheltered accommodation that is wheelchair-accessible and undergo psychiatric help, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. I still have some very low moments but it has changed my life and now I’m thankful every time I open my eyes in the morning.”
On Monday, Simon was reunited with lorry driver David Jacobs, who was not injured in the accident, and the emergency crews who rescued him.
Before the emotional meeting, he said he was “racked with guilt” for the lorry driver and “forever grateful” to the emergency services.
He said afterwards: “It’s been fantastic. I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me. Without them, I would not be here today.
“I wanted to share my horrific story in a bid to warn other motorists that they really are dicing with death if they drive when tired. I’m amazed they got me out and that I’m still alive to tell the tale.”