My escape from Mini tent crash

8:50am Thursday 28th August 2008

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LEIGH Redman, who cheated death in a bizarre Bank Holiday accident, has described his amazing escape.

The WHSmith manager had headed to a campsite near Exeter for a break when disaster struck.

He and his wife Tracy were camping at the Ladram Bay Holiday Centre when just after 12.45am on Saturday an Austin Mini came off its handbrake and rolled down the hill and over their tent.

Leigh suffered a collapsed vertebra, broken ribs, and broken collar and breast bones.

Speaking to Exeter’s Express & Echo from his hospital bed, Leigh, 40, said the accident was “terrifying”.

But as a trained first aider Leigh knew to stay calm.

The evening before the accident, the pair went to bed early.

“Once we had set the tent up and put the car out of the way, we had something to eat and a few beers,” said Leigh.

“We both wanted to go away for a bit of a rest so we went to bed at about 9pm.

“The first thing I remember from the accident was hearing Tracy’s voice.

“I was on top of her so I went onto my back and I remember hearing lots of noise. I had no breath as I was winded.

“I’m a first aider with the fire service so I knew what I had to do.

“My mind started to take in what was going on. Tracy was moving and was vocal so I knew she was okay.”

Leigh said he remembered people trying to get in the tent but that Tracy could not find the zip from the inside.

Tracy said it was at this point that “heroic” Richard Davey, from Bristol, helped to release the pair by tearing the tent.

Once the emergency services arrived, Leigh was carried out on a spinal board and taken to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, with Tracy following behind.

Amazingly, his 38-year-old wife Tracy suffered no injuries apart from some bad bruising and whiplash.

It is thought the handbrake of the 25-year-old car, which was parked at the top of a hill, came loose during the night, allowing it to roll down the slope, straight into Mr Redman’s tent.

The couple, who have a 15-year-old daughter, say they have not been put off camping as a result of the accident.

Leigh said he was refusing to think about what the outcome could have been.

“I’m a realist — it was just one of those things,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it’s a matter of looking forward not back. We both got out of it and we’re alive.”