A POLICE officer who was left paralysed following a car crash been has thanked by a grandma he rescued after they were reunited decades later.

PC Kevin Milnes suffered severe brain damage on Halloween in 1989 when he lost control of his police car on a sharp bend in Great Sankey as he pursued a suspect during icy and foggy conditions.

He was left sitting in the car upside down in a ditch for hours before the emergency services were alerted.

The extent of his injuries left him in hospital for months and caused him to retire from Cheshire Police the following year.

Kevin’s health has since worsened, with medical problems stemming from the crash now leaving him paralysed along the left-hand side of his body and unable to talk.

But he has now been thanked by a woman he rushed to the aid of 40 years ago when she too was involved in a serious car accident.

Mum-of-one and grandma of two Angela Tudor crashed into a lamppost in Widnes in June 1979, suffering multiple broken bones and head injuries.

The 63-year-old recently recognised the officer who rescued her from her crushed vehicle when she spotted a picture of her ‘guardian angel’ posted on social media.

PCSO Stephen Marnick then arranged for the pair to meet at the care home Kevin is now a resident in.

Angela said: “It was a highly emotional experience meeting Kevin again after all these years – he was my guardian angel when I was in a car crash more than 40 years ago.

“I was knocked unconscious when the car I was in as a front seat passenger crashed into a lamppost – I sustained a fractured and dislocated ankle and also broke my pelvis and two bones in my leg.

“I woke up thinking that I was going to die, but thankfully Kevin was there to reassure and help me.

“He was so calm and professional, and he got me out of the car so that I could be taken to hospital in an ambulance.

“I have never forgotten what he did for me that day during what was probably the most frightening experience of my life – I will be forever indebted to him for it, and I am so pleased that I have been able to see him again and belatedly thank him for being so fantastic during my time of need.

“With him having sustained serious brain damage as a result of his own crash 10 years later, I can’t believe that he remembers my car accident way back in 1979.

“It was a particularly emotional moment when I realised that he remembered my accident, and it was so lovely seeing him again and talking to him.”

Kevin was recently presented with a speech-generating device allowing to communicate more easily by the North West Police Benevolent Fund.

The 69-year-old former traffic officer said: “I really enjoyed being a police officer, and it is nice thinking back about all the people I helped whilst doing the job – including Angela.”

Angela herself worked for the emergency services, working as a paramedic information assistant at Halton Hospital before her retirement.

She added: “I only found out about Kevin’s crash recently – I have a good memory for faces and I instantly recognised him when I saw the post.

“It is a cruel twist of fate that he was involved in such a serious crash 10 years after helping me when I had mine.

“I just hope that Kevin had a guardian angel of his own after his crash.

“Both crashes occurred on a sharp bend, which is one of many hazards that people face every time they drive.

“We all know that cars are deadly weapons, but it is only when you are involved in a crash yourself that you truly realise the importance of driving carefully and safely at all times.

“A split second on the roads can change your life and the lives of others forever.

“Thankfully, I was able to fully recover from my crash and go on to become a mum and a grandmother – many other people involved in crashes are not so lucky.”