BRUISED but alive, a man who was crushed when his car fell on top of him, has today told how having his mobile phone in his pocket could have saved his life.

BRUISED but alive, a man who was crushed when his car fell on top of him, has today told how having his mobile phone in his pocket could have saved his life.

James McCabe of Swallow Road, Ipswich became trapped under his Renault Espace for 45 minutes after the jack he used to prop up the vehicle moved.

By the time he had realised the car had gradually descended on him, pinning him to the ground, the 52-year-old told how he managed to wriggle to reach his mobile phone and called a friend to help him who then alerted the emergency services.

As revealed in yesterday's Evening Star, the incident happened at around 2pm on Wednesday. The air ambulance along with rapid response doctors, a land ambulance and the fire brigade were called to the scene.

Mr McCabe said: “It came down slowly so I didn't realise for a while that I was trapped.

“When I first realised I was stuck I started to worry but I wasn't scared, I was annoyed because I got stuck under there because of my own foolishness.

“I wriggled about a bit and managed to get hold of my phone and I phoned my friend who called the fire service as soon as he saw me.

“I was in quite a bit of pain. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy and to make it worse I was wet because of the rain so I had become really cold.”

Eventually Mr McCabe, who ran a transport café before he retired, was freed by two fire crews who managed to lift the car off him before he was transferred by ambulance to Ipswich Hospital.

Mr McCabe added: “When they were moving the car they had to do it very slowly because if it had gone wrong it could have all ended dreadfully.

“That was horrid because I couldn't do anything, I could breathe but I couldn't move.”

Now Mr McCabe is back at the home he shares with his wife, Barbara, and his children Louis, 25, and Megan, 20, but he said he still felt very sore as a result of his ordeal, especially in his legs.

Weblink: www.eastanglianambulance.com