Codford resident Sue Williams, who suffered serious life-changing injuries in a road traffic collision, says she owes her life to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The car Sue was a passenger in came off the road and rolled several times before landing on its wheels, by which time the roof on the passenger side had been crushed.

Sue broke her back, neck, left arm, a rib and sustained a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury in the collision on the A303 at Chicklade in April 2012.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance flew her to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol where she stayed for a month, including nine days in the intensive care unit.

Sue, 48, said: “If it wasn’t for Wiltshire Air Ambulance I wouldn’t be here today. Their experience, knowledge and quick thinking as to which trauma centre was most appropriate ensured that I lived to see another day.”

She underwent a year of physiotherapy on her neck - which is fixated with metal implants - and arm. The brain injury affects her memory and makes her fatigued.

Before the accident she was the assistant manager in Salisbury Pet Stores and was an active horse rider.

Due to her brain injury she thinks it is unlikely she will be able to work full-time but hopes in the future to gain part-time employment. She has taken solace from writing about her brain injury by contributing to the Grief Diaries: Living With a Brain Injury, along with other people living with a brain injury.

Sue and her partner, Dave Woodland, who works at a bakery in Warminster, visited Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s operational base in Devizes and said meeting Richard Miller, the critical care paramedic who treated her, was emotional.

Sue said: “I was overwhelmed to not only shake the hand of the man who saved my life that night, but I was also able to make a donation to the charity.”

Since the visit Sue and Dave have joined the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Friends scheme and the charity is a named beneficiary in both their wills.

Sue has also donated a photo of herself, Dave and dog Mylo for the charity’s helicopter mosaic at their new airbase at Semington, near Melksham.

Sue said: “Before the accident I never gave the air ambulance much thought. Now, I cannot find words to describe how important it is to keep this service flying. They are there for everyone and you never know if one day it might be you who needs them. They saved my life and gave me a second chance.”