Two County Durham teens suffer life-changing injuries after car crash

Two County Durham teenagers suffered life-changing injuries after the car they were travelling in crashed into a tree - with their loved ones now thanking the emergency services who saved their lives.

Jack Godwin, 18, and his friend Ben Davies, 17, were returning home from a day out in Barnard Castle when the car they were in crashed into a tree on the B6282 in Eggleston, County Durham, and were seriously injured.

Emergency vehicles from the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and two helicopters from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) responded to the crash, which happened shortly after 4.30pm on April 16, 2023.

The Great North Air Ambulance at the scene (Image: GNAAS)

NEAS and GNAAS worked together to treat three patients, including Jack and Ben, who had suffered life-threatening injuries.

The critical care teams from GNAAS administered blood transfusions and put both teenagers into medically induced comas before airlifting them separately to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.

Jack’s mother Kelly Bryden, 46, said: “A member of the public called me from Jack's phone to advise he had an accident in Eggleston - this was around 4.45pm.

Jack Godwin in hospital (Image: GNAAS)

“We heard nothing for over an hour but we could see pictures of the scene on Facebook so I called 101 to see if they could help.

“They got a police officer to call me 45 minutes later to advise he was being taken to the RVI and we arrived at around 8pm.

“We were taken to a room in A&E and informed of Jack's injuries which included an aortic transection, bleeds to the brain, serious brain swelling and a seriously broken pelvis. We were also told a few days later that Jack also sustained a broken left elbow and a fracture to the bottom of his skull.”

Jack Godwin outside of hospital (Image: GNAAS)

Jack was blue-lighted to the Freeman Hospital for heart surgery and then returned to the RVI where he remained in ITU for two weeks in an induced coma.

He also had plates and pins fitted in his pelvis and elbow.

Due to Jack’s brain injury causing him to have unpredictable behaviour, he required 1-1 care and he received daily physiotherapy and speech therapy twice a week.

Mrs Bryden said: “Jack has had to learn how to eat and drink again as well as speak. He wasn’t able to speak until mid-July. Jack has been left with a left-sided weakness, so this has caused issues.

Kelly Bryden, Jack Godwin and Jack's auntie Melissa (Image: GNAAS)

“By the time Jack left the RVI he was able to sit up on his own for short periods of time and spend time in a wheelchair.”

Jack, from Spennymoor, was transferred from the RVI to Walkergate Park in July and underwent intensive rehabilitation.

He was discharged in December last year and continues to have physiotherapy and occupational therapy as well as psychotherapy to help with his brain injury and subsequent short-term memory.

Jack Godwin (Image: GNAAS)

His friend Ben was discharged from James Cook in May last year after spending 30 days in hospital and continued to recover at home.

Mrs Bryden said: “Without the air ambulance I can honestly say my son would not be alive. They performed chest drains, a blood transfusion and put him on a ventilator all at the side of the road. No one can believe following the injury to his aorta that Jack is alive. The air ambulance do an amazing job and deserve every penny they receive.

“I will be forever grateful for them saving my son's life.”

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Head of operations in the central division at North East Ambulance Service, Darren Green added: “It’s lovely to hear that Jack and Ben are recovering after such a traumatic event. Together, our crews attend road traffic collisions every day to help, in what can be the most serious of emergencies.

“A number of our colleagues and specialist resources attended this incident and they will be pleased to know that what they did that day made a real difference and ensured that Jack and Ben could go home to their families.

“We wish them well in their continued recovery and for the future.”