Former Neptune Derby pub barmaid tells of crash where seatbelt tore her stomach

A former Neptune pub barmaid has described the horror motorway crash that left her learning to walk again. Keeley Clarke, from Littleover^[1], was travelling at 70mph with her partner, Callum, along the M5 near Birmingham on February 29, before she hit a stationary car in the middle of the road without its hazard lights on, which had previously collided with another vehicle.

Keeley described how her side of the car crumpled immediately after the crash, which caused her legs to be crushed. The airbag had collapsed her lungs and the seatbelt had ripped part of her stomach out, before leaking fuel set the car alight while Keeley was stuck inside.

The 23-year-old told how a mystery lorry driver ripped the door open to save her from the wreck. She says neither she, Callum nor the police were able to identify this Good Samaritan, who disappeared after saving Keeley.

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The former city centre Neptune pub barmaid, who undertook a role in the Army^[3] at a base in Pembrokeshire before the crash, said: "Essentially, there was a stationary car with no hazards on in the fast lane and me and my partner were driving at night and hit them at full speed.

"I've had multiple operations on my stomach and my bowel, as well as a bunch of metal rods and nails in my thighs because my femurs in both legs were completely crushed. I was then put in a coma for four days and have been slowly learning how to walk, talk and eat all over again."

Despite being dealt an extremely tough hand in the last few months, Keeley's unrivalled positivity has left her in fine spirits as she spoke from a military rehabilitation centre, where she has remained since undergoing treatment. Keeley now says she looks forward to getting home and recovering as quickly as possible, admitting that she is keen to get back into uniform as soon as they'll let her.

See More: Dramatic photo shows car flipped onto its roof at busy roundabout^[4]

A fundraiser has been set up by Keeley's brother, Lee, who looks to run a marathon to raise funds for essential items that he hopes will ease Keeley's recovery. She said: "It's really nice to see that people are behind me and I really appreciate the money that's been donated.

"We weren't expecting to get many donations at all, but to see nearly £2,000 raised is so nice to see, I'm just so grateful."

The money will be used to buy a new bed and to replace Keeley's belongings that were left behind in her "exploded" car - which, in itself, is another major expense that will need to be paid for.

Lee said: "I have decided to run a marathon at Carsington Water^[5] on Saturday, June 29, and raise as much as I can to help my sister buy a comfortable bed and some essentials when she returns home. When I have completed my run, I aim to give her every penny in cash - along with some flowers and a card.

"Please help in any way possible, every penny helps and my sister means the world to me. I thank you in advance for your donations." If you want to support Keeley as she looks to make a full recovery, you can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking the link here.^[6]

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References

1. ^{^} Littleover (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Join us on WhatsApp to get the latest news straight to your phone (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Army (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
4. ^{^} Dramatic photo shows car flipped onto its roof at busy roundabout (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Carsington Water (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
6. ^{^} clicking the link here. (www.gofundme.com)
7. ^{^} Get the latest breaking news and top stories from Derbyshire in our daily newsletter (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)