A BURTON paramedic who was ‘lucky to be alive’ after a Polish lorry driver crossed onto the wrong side of the road and smashed into his ambulance has received a £2,500 payout.John Eames, 38, was trapped in the vehicle for two-and-a-half hours and suffered a shattered knee joint and badly broken right leg. He hasn’t been able to walk since last February’s accident.
The money received by John will allow him to return home after spending five months in Burton’s Queen’s Hospital as he can now make a number of changes to his Burton property, which he shares with his wife Sarah, including a specially adapted shower.
The money was presented to John by PC David Rathband — the police officer blinded when he was shot in the face last summer by gunman Raoul Moat.
PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation has been set up to provide immediate financial assistance to Emergency Service workers injured by a criminal act in the line of duty.
Mr Eames said: “It’s a privilege to be the first recipient of the charity and it will finally let me go home, and make my life so much easier.
“There have been a lot of lows and highs since I was injured and this is definitely one of the highs.”
PC Rathband said: “People like John deserve our help. He has been in hospital for months, unable to go home and we are now able to help facilitate that.
“It’s amazing. This makes it all worthwhile.” As a result of the accident, lorry driver Piotr Gawlik was jailed for four months for dangerous driving at North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court, and banned from driving for two years.
Mr Eames added: “Everything changed that day.
“I tried to climb a single step with the aid of crutches, and it took me half an hour.
“I can’t even have a shower but soon I will be able to thanks to this award.”
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