Peter Stanton

Many incidents we attend involve emergency services working together. This was something Peter Stanton was very grateful for in March 2019.

72-year-old Peter was at home in Stourbridge, preparing his 3.5 tonne motorhome for its annual MOT in spring 2019. The motorhome had been covered up on Peter’s steep driveway and blocks placed under it to keep it in place throughout the winter months.

Peter lowered the motorhome onto the drive and started working on the front end. Seconds later, the blocks holding the front of the motorhome collapsed, and the huge vehicle knocked Peter over and rolled onto him.

His face and hands were painfully grazed along the tarmac due to the pressure, and Peter was rolled into a ball, trapped underneath.

“A young man was walking past as it happened,” recalls Peter, “but he panicked. I tried to talk to him, to ask him to put the blocks back, but I could barely speak due to the pressure on my chest.”

The young man managed to make the call to emergency services, and initially Stourbridge Fire Service attended the scene. On arrival, they knew Peter needed urgent medical assistance, and called West Midlands Ambulance Service. Along with a land crew and WMAS’s hazardous area response team, MAAC’s critical care paramedic Ian Lock went to the scene in one of the charity’s Critical Care Cars.

Ian led the team of emergency services in guiding Peter out from underneath the motorhome. While he took charge on scene, the Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter from RAF Cosford was dispatched. Pilot, Capt. Tim Jones, CCP Karen Baker and Dr Alex James, were at the scene in seven minutes.

“Apparently I was talking to the fire service, but I have no recollection of this at all. The next thing I remember is being in a land ambulance listening to the aircrew and paramedics discussing where to take me.”

The advanced medical crew did a full assessment on Peter to be sure he was safe to travel, and escorted him in the land ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QE), to monitor his condition in case of deterioration.

On arrival at the QE in Birmingham, Peter was treated for a collapsed lung, and had fluid in his lung cavity. He also had an injured spine from the pressure of the motorhome, and all his ribs were fractured – some even had multiple fractures. Nurses at the QE commented to Peter that his rib injuries were some of the worst they had ever seen.

“I was kept in critical care for a week, moved to intensive care for another week, and then finally sent home. My brother visited me on the day of the accident, and I had many friends come to see me in the two weeks that followed – I have had such wonderful support from everyone.”

Since the incident, Peter has tried to stay active, but now finds he is worn out quickly, “I’ve had cancer before, but I feel like this was more life changing for me - I’m definitely lucky to be alive.”

Peter met some of the aircrew at this year’s Bike4Life, and recalls the moment, “It was so lovely to meet some of the Critical Care Paramedics. Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is a wonderful organisation – I feel so grateful to everyone involved.”

And as for the motorhome? “I’m still travelling in it this summer,” laughs Peter, “nothing will pull me away from my passion!”