A DRIVER left in a coma after a high-speed crash has been reunited with the paramedics who saved his life.

Paul Shelley, 37, of Gateshead, was driving home in August 2015 when he was involved in the crash in the Windy Nook area of his hometown.

He suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs, lost teeth, shattered hip bone, a broken pelvis and bruising to his brain and spent a week in a coma at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, followed by two further weeks in intensive care.

He has now been reunited with the North East Ambulance Service crews who came to his aid on the night.

Mr Shelley said: “I can’t remember a thing. It’s like putting a jigsaw together and missing the final piece.

“The doctors told my mam and dad that it was likely that I wouldn’t survive and to prepare themselves for the worst; everybody thought I was on borrowed time.

“These guys are true heroes - they saved my life at the end of the day.”

North East Ambulance Service Paramedics Graham Brooks and Paul Megson, who are part of the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (Hart) were first on the scene, swiftly backed up by Gateshead crew, Paramedic Vicky Taylor and Emergency Care Assistant Lee Marshall.

Mr Megson said: “As soon as we saw the car we knew Paul would be badly injured.

“We found Paul on the floor displaying signs of a tension pneumothorax, struggling to breathe.

"The trauma to Paul’s chest had caused a build-up of air in his chest, pushing everything towards Paul’s heart and stopping the blood from pumping".

Vicky Taylor, who joined the ambulance service 13 years ago, added: “With those injuries, Paul is really lucky to be alive.

“After transporting a patient to hospital, we don’t usually get to find out what happens to them so it’s really nice to meet him and to see him doing so well.”