A WOMAN who escaped death after a horrific car crash has thanked the air ambulance medics who helped save her life.

The family of 19-year-old Lauren Walkington was told to “prepare for the worst” after the youngster and her mother Sandra were involved in a serious crash on the A168 at Boroughbridge last September.

Lauren had to be cut free from the wreckage and suffered multiple injuries including a life-threatening brain trauma.

She was airlifted to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) whose medics put her into a medically induced coma.

Sandra suffered eight fractures across her body.

The pair have fought a brave recovery battle and this week the family paid tribute to the GNAAS medics involved in their rescue.

Remembering the awful events of the crash, Mrs Walkington, from Marton-le-Moor, near Ripon, said their car was hit head-on by a car that swerved onto their side of the road, before being hit again by a following vehicle.

Afterwards, the prognosis was not good for Lauren, who initially made slow progress at the hospital.

“The doctors told me to prepare myself for the worst,” said Mrs Walkington.

“It was absolutely horrendous.

“I couldn’t see her for the first six days because I myself was too ill to be taken to her ward four floors below.

“I thought I wasn’t going to get the chance to say goodbye. I thought she was going to die.”

Mrs Walkington feared for her daughter’s life which was hanging by a thread as she made no progress in hospital.

“After a few days they put her back on ventilation and I thought ‘this is not good,’ she said.

“I don’t think anyone really knew which way it was going to go. They said if she did survive, on a scale of zero to ten, her recovery would be a five.”

Thankfully Lauren made a dramatic comeback, spending six weeks at Leeds General Infirmary then three weeks at the Lascelles Rehabilitation Unit in Harrogate, although she still suffers the long-term effects of her injuries.

Miss Walkington, a former pupil at Boroughbridge High School, deferred her studies at the University of Sunderland because of the incident.

She said: “My life has been put on hold for a year since the crash, but I wouldn’t have that life if it wasn’t for GNAAS.

“Thank you for giving me a future.”

The family have since held a fundraising race right to raise funds for the charity.