Driver survives being trapped in mangled van for two hours after horror crash

A motorist managed to survive being trapped in his van for two hours after it was crushed by two heavy goods vehicles in a horror crash.

Michael Radford, 39, said firefighters "thought he was dead" when they arrived at the scene of the crash near junction 10 of the M56 motorway on 11 April.

The father-of-three's van was mangled between the two large vehicles with him inside.

The crash happened as he queued in standstill traffic after missing his exit on his drive home.

The water mains engineer suffered a fractured spine, several broken ribs and an eye injury.

After being rescued from the wreckage, he was airlifted to Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.

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"I don't remember much about the initial impact, I completely blacked out," he said.

"Then, I regained consciousness and I woke up crushed. I couldn't see what was going on and I was out of it.

"It took the fire brigade around two hours to cut me out and I was airlifted to Aintree Hospital. I had become wedged against my steering wheel and the front of the van was completely crushed. I was stuck.

"When the fire crews turned up, they told me they had thought I was dead with how badly damaged my van was. Even I look back at pictures now and ask myself how I am still alive."

Radford, from St Helens, Merseyside, has been off work since the crash and says he is scared at the thought of getting behind a wheel again.

Emergency services were called to the crash on the eastbound carriageway of the M56, beside junction 10, at about 5.30pm.

"I should've come off at junction 10 to go home, but I missed the turning," he said.

"The board was flashing 50 miles per hour because they had closed off the motorway further down and there was traffic, so I began slowing down.

"I am still recovering now. It has been a nightmare. I am having a lot of physiotherapy and still go to see spinal specialist. It was traumatic.

"I drive for a living and am on the motorway pretty much 24/7. I see and hear about crashes all the time but you never think something like this is going to happen to you.

"I have only been a passenger in a car since and still haven't driven yet. I don't know how I am going to feel when I have to go back to work and drive on the motorway again."

Cheshire Police said a 39-year-old man from Bury had been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was later released under investigation while inquiries continue.