Sneeze almost killed me!
Paul's car was written off after the sneeze!
Wednesday 12th March 2008
My nostrils were so sore from me blowing my nose all the time, they looked like a couple of pork scratchings.
'Flaming cold,' I grumbled to myself, giving my nose another honk. For the past week, I'd been coughing and sneezing.
'You keep your chest warm,' my mum, Margaret Buckley, 60, said, fussing over me.
I was single, and worked at a nearby depot as a fork-lift truck driver.
'I'll be fine, Mum,' I told her. 'Don't worry.'
But driving round the depot that morning, I was freezing. After two hours at work, it was time for my 10am break. Normally, I'd have a cuppa and try to warm up. But today, I couldn't.
It was Saturday 12 January 2008, and I'd promised my niece, Carly Harrison, 21, I'd give her a lift into town so she could buy some new jeans in the sales. 'I'll be back in half-an-hour,' I called to the boss.
Carly only lived a few minutes from the depot, but it was nice to have an excuse to get into my new red Peugeot 206 again. I'd only had it for a couple of months, and it was my pride and joy. Humming along to the radio, I pulled out of the depot and turned round the corner.
Just then, a familiar itchy, tingling sensation started in my nose. As it got worse,
I screwed up my face.
'Ah…' I spluttered, a sneeze welling up in my nose. 'Aaah…'
Then suddenly…
'Achoo!!'
I did the most enormous sneeze.
It was so powerful, I lost my grip on the steering wheel for a second. By the time I'd come to my senses, disaster had struck.
The car had veered to the left, the front wheel clipping the kerb. Desperate, I struggled to regain control. But it was too late.
'Aargh!' I yelled, as the car flipped over, crashing down onto its roof on the grass verge.
Incredibly, when I opened my eyes, the windows were all still intact. Strapped into my seat, I was now dangling upside down. My head and neck ached, but I could feel my toes and fingers. Blimey, I thought. I seem to be fine.
At that moment, a man appeared by the window.
'You OK, mate?' he called.
'I think so,' I replied.
He prised the door open.
'Let's get you out,' he said.
So, as he held onto me, I released the seat belt.
'That was a close shave,' he said, helping me to my feet. 'The passenger side's mangled.'
I turned to look at the car, and felt my legs tremble. He was right, the passenger side had been completely crushed by the impact.
As I stood there gawping, I felt my nostrils twitch again. But it wasn't a sneeze this time.
'Something's burning,' I said.
Then I noticed there was smoke seeping out from under the bonnet.
'Quick!' the bloke said, grabbing my arm as flames began licking out of the engine. 'It could blow.'
We scampered over to his car, which was parked a few yards behind mine. A few seconds later, my car burst into flames.While I slumped, shocked, into his passenger seat, the man quickly dialled 999.
'I don't understand what happened,' I said, dazed. 'All I did was sneeze.'
The man introduced himself as Matty Norris. He was 19, and a mechanic.
'Your car's knackered,' he said.
I glanced over at it, smouldering away. He wasn't kidding. Suddenly, it hit me. I was lucky to be alive.
'I think I need to phone my mum,' I gulped.
Matty handed me his mobile, and I gave Mum a call.
'I'm on my way,' she gasped.
Ten minutes later, Mum arrived, just as an ambulance and fire engine screeched onto the scene.
We watched as my precious Peugeot was dragged onto the back of a lorry.
'I can't believe I've lost my car,' I moaned.
'You could have lost your life, pet,' Mum said, hugging me.
The paramedics gave me the all-clear, but to make sure, Mum took me to the University Hospital of Hartlepool. Thankfully, apart from a bit of shock, I was fine.
A month on, and I'm still gutted I've lost my car. But I realise that's not what's important. If it wasn't for Matty, things could have been much nastier. So I've met up with him since, to say thanks properly. All I need to do now is make it up Carly. She never did get to the sales!
Matty says: 'I'm quite proud of what I did, especially as the car was on fire. Paul might have burned to death if he hadn't got out.'
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