Boss? I’m in a spot of bother

A TRUCKER was speared by a pole and calmly rang his boss to say: "I'm in a spot of bother."

Brave Jason Ripley kept his cool after the 8ft shaft went through his body.


As he lay impaled he realised nobody had seen the freak accident and he was going to die.

Impaled ... Jason speared by barrier

So he phoned his work to say: "I've had a bit of an accident - I'm in a spot of bother."

Battle ... rescuers free Jason

Barrier

Jason, 39, was skewered when his truck hit a wonky crash barrier in his home town of Darlington, Co Durham.

Recovered ... hug from Helen

He stayed conscious - thinking of partner Helen Todd, 38, and sons Joshua, 19, and Jay, 11 - as firemen cut the pole to 4ft. Jason was flown to James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough.

He said: "Strangely I felt no pain. I was just staring up at the sky."

Surgeons took out the pole, which missed his vital organs, and he was back at work in months.

The accident happened last year but Jason only released the pictures yesterday to raise funds for the Great North Air Ambulance, saying the service saved his life.