Crash survivor visits rescue base

The sole survivor of a car crash which killed four young men has visited the Oxfordshire base of the region's rescue helicopter to donate money.

Matthew Simpson was critically injured in the crash on the A422 Brackley Road at Westbury in June.

Today the teenager visited RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, the home of the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance.

He gave the charity which runs the helicopter almost £9,000, which was raised by his family and friends.

'Magnificent gesture'

Matthew Simpson was airlifted to hospital in the police helicopter after the crash because the trust which runs the air ambulance does not have enough money for it to fly at night.

"If the police helicopter had not been able to pick me up, the amount of blood I was losing, I may well have died as the four others did," said Mr Simpson.

"I would like the money to be spent to help give the air ambulance the ability to fly at night and save other people."

The NHS provides two paramedics for the air rescue service, but the £1.8m a year cost of the running the helicopter comes entirely from sponsorship and charitable donations.

Patrick Conafray, from the air ambulance trust, said:"This is a magnificent gesture following such a terrible tragedy."

"Mathew's father Mark and his work colleagues wanted to show their support of the emergency services and this money will help bring the day when we can operate in the hours of darkness that bit closer."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust
South Central Ambulance NHS Trust
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