Woman whose life was saved by air ambulance urges the people of Northamptonshire to support the charity

Mum Angie Crompton almost died in a horrific road accident almost two years ago – her husband Paul says she ‘dodged a bullet’.

She says she owes her life to the air ambulance crew who flew her to hospital so quickly after the terrible smash in Northamptonshire.

It was touch and go for two weeks as she had suffered such serious head injuries.

As well as needing a craniotomy to relieve pressure on her brain she had also broken her neck.

Now, after a remarkable recovery, she is back to her old self and enjoying life back running the Red Lion pub in Evenley, near Brackley, with husband Paul.

After the accident, which was in October 2014, people rallied round to help the family in practical ways.

Paul said: “After the accident the community really clubbed together and provided meals for us every night for four months while Angie was in hospital.

“They helped out with cleaning and gardening and even behind the bar. People even organised a visitor rota to make sure Angie didn’t feel alone. It was phenomenal support.”

And that spirit has continued ever since with regular fund-raising and donations for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

Almost £30,000 has been donated or raised since Angie’s Land Rover was involved in a crash with a lorry as she drove to pick up her husband in Brackley.

The couple are urging members of the public to support the charity by donating this Air Ambulance Week (September 17 to 25).

The community fund-raising for the air ambulance has included a collection tin on the bar, fetes, shows and Angie’s Wednesday coffee mornings.

Neighbours and friends, shops and businesses in Brackley area have all adopted the WN Air Ambulance as their fund-raising cause.

The biggest fund-raiser saw Paul and a group of mates take part in the Monte Carlo or Bust banger rally earlier this year.

They painted seven cars in the yellow of the air ambulance and set off to do 950 miles in three days.

Paul said: “Beforehand we thought that if we make £1,800 from the trip that’d be great but as it went on it just got bigger and bigger.”

In the end, the trip raised £13,000.

The couple have spoken about their ordeal to coincide with Air Ambulance Week which starts today, September 17. They are urging people to donate to this major fund-raising drive.

Angie, aged 53, said: “The air ambulance did save my life and I will always be grateful.

“Today I feel fine, perfectly well but without them that day I may not have survived.”

Paul added: “When I try to summarise what happened I say it’s simple. You’ve just dodged a bullet and we’ve been very lucky.

“You go through life thinking it’s never going to happen but it can and it does. What happened to Angie can happen to anyone.”

Volunteers from the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance are handing out yellow cross pin badges in exchange for donations at dozens of locations all this week.