Blubberhouses crash victim hopes to thank mystery nurse

Ben Patel has raised more than £1,850 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance

An Army veteran who was seriously injured in a crash said he wanted to find and thank a mystery nurse who came to his aid.

Ben Patel, from Yeadon near Leeds, was on his motorbike when he was struck by another vehicle near Blubberhouses.

A passing nurse stopped to help him before paramedics arrived from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to deliver life-saving care.

Mr Patel said the passer-by "made all the difference" in those first minutes.

Mr Patel, who was 31 at the time of the crash in August 2021, was returning home from a visit to see family in Appletreewick at about 13:30 BST when he collided with a car that unexpectedly pulled out of a junction on Rues Lane.

He said when he woke up on the road, a nurse who had been driving past had stopped to help him.

"I was in complete shock and I kept passing out as I was in a lot of pain," he said.

"She just kept talking to me, at the time I was incredibly vulnerable so it made all the difference. I never got a chance to thank her."

'Really supportive'

Mr Patel, who served in the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, suffered extensive damage to his pelvis and a broken wrist.

He had to learn how to walk again and continues to use a wheelchair or walking stick.

He was medically discharged as a result of his injuries, but said the Army had been "really supportive" during his recovery.

Ben Patel, pictured with his partner Harriet, said he wanted to thank the passer-by who stopped to help him at the scene of the crash

A specially adapted room was created at his sister-in-law's home where he spent months recovering from his injuries with the support of his family and girlfriend.

Mr Patel later started his own business as a welder and fabricator and has raised more than £1,850 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance since the crash.

His efforts included building a Yorkshire Air Ambulance-themed barbecue, which was sold at auction for £650.

But he said he would also like to contact the nurse who stopped to help him at the scene to say "thank you so much for all the care you gave me".

"She was telling me things were going to be OK, because I didn't have a clue. I was so grateful, it really stuck with me."