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A road sweeper is on the hunt for the hero who saved his life by pulling him free from his faulty vehicle.
Howard Taylor, 64, from Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, is desperate to thank the man who pulled him out of his crashed road sweeper vehicle in Danesmore, during November 2006.
After the accident, which saw him trapped in the vehicle’s smoke-filled cab, Mr Taylor had been left with whiplash injuries and now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Injured worker was awarded compensation
target="_blank" title="UNISON">UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, helped him claim compensation when he was off work from North East Derbyshire District Council for seven months.
However, Mr Taylor will not be satisfied until he tracks down his saviour, who he believes may have worked at a nearby building site.
Mr Taylor said:
“I would like to find this man and thank him for what he did that day.
“I was in a terrible state and, without his help, I don’t think I’d be here today.
“I had complained about the road sweeper in the past because it would bounce a lot when it was empty but nothing was done about it.
“The accident happened as I was going down a hill and I ended up trapped inside.
“I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the accident and often worry about what would have happened if that man hadn’t helped me.”
Road Sweeper was unsuitable for the job
UNISON had instructed Thompsons Solicitors to take on the claim and the council admitted liability, having had a number of complaints received about the safety of this particular type of road sweeper.
Tony Rabaiotti, UNISON’s Head of Local Government in the West Midlands, said:
“Mr Taylor is lucky that a passerby was there to save the day and we hope he manages to track him down.
“This accident could easily have been avoided if Mr Taylor been given adequate training on the machine and if his complaints about the vehicle had been adhered to.”
Jane Toplis from Thompsons Solicitors added: “This was a dangerous accident which may never have happened if Mr Taylor’s concerns had been acted upon.
“We alleged that the road sweeper was unsuitable for the job and as a result East Derbyshire District Council was negligent.”