Freezing woman found by side of road after smash (From Thurrock Gazette)

Freezing woman found by side of road after smash

3:30pm Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in News

AN injured woman who was found laying in the snow at the roadside may owe her life to the Port of Tilbury Police.

The woman, aged in her 20s, was travelling in a silver Ford KA which crashed into a motor home in Feenan Highway, Tilbury, during the early hours of Saturday.

She was discovered on the ground in the freezing snow, and is believed to have sustained a broken pelvis, leg and deep cuts to the face as well as a damaged eye.

She was found by chance by officers from the Port of Tilbury Police, who were out on a routine patrol.

PC Gordon Harwood, 46, said: “I looked over to the other side of the road and there was a girl lying on the ground between two parked cars.

“She had extensive injuries, her face was full of blood.

“We tried to keep her conscious and gave her oxygen until the paramedics arrived.

“She was beginning to get hypothermic.”

Speaking about what might have happened had they not been driving past, PC Harwood added: “The girl was in a lot of pain and had been lying there for about half an hour.

“It was minus two and getting colder – another half an hour and we may have been dealing with a very different situation.

“We were at the scene for two hours and in that time only one other car, a taxi, drove past. She was very lucky.”

Essex Police are now investigating the circumstances of the accident, as well as reports that there was a man in the car who ran off.

A spokesman said: “A stolen silver Ford KA collided with a parked white talbot motor caravan. A parked red Renault was also damaged.

“A woman who had been travelling in the KA was taken to Basildon Hospital.

“Police are investigating.”