Motorist ‘lucky to be alive’ after car rolls into field to avoid collision
AFORMER professional boxer claims he is “lucky to be alive” after he rolled his car off the road and into a field.
Robert Newbiggin was heading to teach boxing at a gym in Chorley and while driving along Lydiate Lane in Eccleston claims to have been forced to slam on when a car veered onto his side of the road.
The 57-year-old, who has spent most of his life living in Southport after being born in America, claims to have slammed on, turned his steering wheel all the way to the left leading to his car flipping off the road into a field.
The driver who veered onto his side of the road is said to have made off from the scene and Robert was taken to hospital.
He says he suffered from a concussion, with him remaining thankful that that’s the worst of what he suffered.
Robert said: “He was coming straight for me. He was only in a small car and I was in my big BMW X5. I made an error of judgement because instead of just braking which would have skidded me into this car, I put my steering wheel in full lock to the left to get in out the way as well as braking.
“I’d gone from 40mph to 0mph and my car didn’t like that. It flew in the air, literally. It went along the hedgerow, took out at least 15ft of hedge then it must have hit something in a hedge and, what people have told me, then it flew at least 12ft in the air before it nosed into the field.
“The whole windscreen came out and was flung from the car. I can remember one bit being upside down but apparently, the car was on its roof twice. The scariest thing was that if someone was in the passenger side someone could have died. The roof had crushed down onto the headrest, further than the headrest is.
“I was more upset about that, had my daughter been in the car. I thought I was bleeding when I first came to but it was actually the windscreen wash because my windscreen wasn’t there.
“The key was jammed in the ignition and there was a smell of petrol so people were trying to get me out because the seatbelt was keeping me in. I banged my head without even realising.
“They don’t think the knock actually knocked me out, more the shock of it. I had my seatbelt on but it was shredded. It was down to the last fibres. There’s no way I should be alive. It’s crazy. The person who has caused this has driven away.”
Robert had advice to other drivers going forward.
He said: “A message to myself and other drivers is always expect the unexpected.
“Even though my car is a fast and powerful car and all the things that car has about it, none of it actually caused my accident. I wasn’t going too fast, I was being careful.”
Lancashire Police confirmed the accident but refused to supply any information due to it being a “damage only” RTC.