The incident, which left cyclist Tom ‘lucky to be alive’, will feature in the latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999
The horrific ordeal suffered by a cyclist who ended up trapped under a van following a crash in East Yorkshire will feature on a TV show featuring the vital work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance service. Tom Jones, 60, had barely started his afternoon cycling trip and was just a few hundred metres from his house when he was involved in the serious collision near Howden.
The force hurled him from his bicycle and beneath the van, where he was pulled along the tarmac before becoming wedged under the engine compartment and exhaust for over half an hour. Emergency paramedics started initial care at the scene while Fire and Rescue teams worked to free Tom from under the motor.
The harrowing story will be featured in the latest episode of Yorkshire Air 999, which will be broadcast on Really and discovery+ at 9pm today (Friday, October 10). Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s (YAA) Topcliffe-stationed Critical Care Unit, made up of paramedics Danny Cooper and Andy Watson, were dispatched to the scene, completing the 17-minute flight to deliver specialist medical assistance.
Danny said: “With the information being quite limited before we arrived, we were anticipating anything. A collision between a cyclist and a van could mean broken bones, spinal injuries, or severe burns. What we did know was that he was in significant pain.”
Touching down in a nearby field, the YAA crew made their way to the incident, where they assisted with the rescue operation. Tom had been extracted moments before, drenched in oil and coolant fluid from the vehicle, displaying visible burns and cuts to his back and legs.
He remained conscious but was in considerable distress, battling to breathe and experiencing pain across his chest and back. Danny added: “We could tell he was in a lot of discomfort, and we needed to work out exactly what was going on.
“Because Tom was covered in oil, it made assessing his burns and injuries quite difficult, so we prioritised getting him into the back of the land ambulance where we could properly examine him.”
After getting him into the privacy of the land ambulance, the YAA team conducted a comprehensive examination, monitoring Tom’s vital signs and searching for any further injuries. They meticulously cut sections of his clothing to inspect the burns, which spread across his torso, lower back and side, before covering him in a thermal blanket to ward off hypothermia – a frequent risk with trauma victims.
Worried about potential full-thickness burns, the team acted swiftly to cleanse and bandage the wounds while continuously monitoring his breathing and general state. Given fears about possible internal or crush injuries, paramedic Andy gave Tom morphine to ensure he remained comfortable during transport for emergency hospital scans.
Tom was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary, where medics discovered he had suffered deep second-degree burns, broken vertebrae, five fractured ribs, and breaks to both shoulder blades. He required a procedure under anaesthetic to clean and treat the burns and remained in hospital for four days before being discharged to continue his recovery at home.
Recalling the horrific accident, Tom said: “I set off for a quick ride and from that point on I remember nothing until I woke up under the van. I just felt this tremendous pressure on my head through the cycle helmet and pain in my chest and back.
“The engine coolant was leaking onto my leg and burning my skin. My bike has a live tracking feature, and just two minutes after I’d left home, my wife got a notification saying I’d been in an accident.
“When she arrived, she said she saw my feet sticking out from under the van, it must have been awful for her. I’m very much an outdoor person, so being housebound during recovery has been tough, but it makes you appreciate the small things in life.
“I’m so lucky to be alive, and I can’t thank everyone enough, the Fire and Rescue crews, paramedics, and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team were all fantastic.”
For more details about the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and how you can contribute to its vital work, visit www.yaa.org.uk