A PENSIONER is appealing for mystery heroes to come forward after they saved his life following a harrowing car accident on an Aveley roundabout.

Ken Waughman, 85, was caught up in a smash with a lorry late into the night after getting confused by the signs at the Sandy Lane roundabout.

The grandfather of two, who has lived in Rainham for the last 50 years and is a regular driver through Aveley, spoke of how three strangers whose names he doesn’t even know stepped forwards to save his life following the accident on Monday, May 11.

The pensioner is not the only driver to have been confused by the signposting on the roundabout, which has been called on twitter "an accident waiting to happen."

Mr Waughman said: “It was an accident waiting to happen – and I was the accident!”

Describing his ordeal, he said: “It was terrifying. It was 11 o’clock at night and I turned on to what I thought was an ordinary road and there was a lorry coming towards me. You automatically get guided to the right as there’s no sign, it was unbelievable!

“I stabbed on the brakes, but it was too late, we collided. The next thing I knew a mystery lady was holding up my arm and taking off her scarf to tie round my arm as a tourniquet. My arm was gushing blood everywhere – it looked like an open mouth and I thought I was going to die.

“She rang the next day to see if I was OK and said, ‘Did you see the two lads who took off their shirts to stop the bleeding?’ She told me she lived on Love Lane, but I was so overwhelmed I didn’t ask her name.”

Mr Waughman added: “She and those two boys saved my life. Now all I want to do is find them and them and say thank you.”

The accident left the ex-washing machine engineer with a gash of eight inches in his arm. He was taken to Basildon Hospital following the crash.

His vehicle was also written off.

The lorry driver was unhurt.

Mr Waughman, 85, of  Glebe Road, is not the only driver to have experienced difficulties on the roundabout.

On twitter, user Lee H, under handle @leedavidh wrote: “Council need to sort out roundabout at the top of Sandy Lane, Aveley. Saw a women driver going wrong way round again and so many drivers go round the wrong way!”

User Greg Regan, under handle @gregan78 also wrote: “Lee, I saw a lorry go the wrong way round it the other day! Accident waiting to happen.”

Did you help Mr Waughman? If so, get in touch with our newsroom on 01375 411501.