Neil Chester was feared paralysed after a head-on crash in Chartham

by Alex Claridge

A man left fighting for life after crashing head-on with another car has spoken of his ordeal for the first time.

Neil Chester, 39, was seriously injured and rushed to hospital after the horror crash in Cockering Road, Chartham.

He had been left trapped inside the mangled wreckage of the Lotus sports car for more than half-an-hour before he was freed by firefighters.

There were fears he would be paralysed after the crash and he was treated by a paramedic and doctor from the Kent Air Ambulance.

The mangled wreckage of the crashed Lotus Elise driven by Neil Chester

Mr Chester said: "You like to think that you have an element of control over your life at any given time.

"The moment that the emergency services arrived, I had very little control over what was going to happen – you have to put your trust in the other people."

Mr Chester was rushed to King's College Hospital, where staff treated his injuries.

He added: "I had broken my foot, that was the force of the brake pedal making contact with my right foot.

"I had a clean break on my sternum, on my chest, that was a big concern for the hospital staff initially, because while your sternum’s not particularly important, it’s what’s behind it of course, your heart and your lungs, which are a little more vital."

Neil Chester will appear on TV show 24 Hours in A&E

The accident happened in February, last year, and is being featured next week in Channel 4's show 24 Hours In A&E, which documents the work done in emergency departments.

Neil is shown arriving at the south London hospital's major trauma unit, where the major worry is paralysis from neck and back injuries.

24 Hours in A&E is a 20-part documentary series that used more than 90 cameras to film around the clock at King's, offering unprecedented access to one of Britain's busiest accident and emergency departments.

It is on every Wednesday at 9pm. The show featuring Mr Chester airs on Wednesday, April 24.