Cyclist's Miraculous Escape After He Is Knocked Down And Pinned Underneath A Car But Walks Away With Just Cuts And Bruises

 This cyclist spent 30 minutes trapped under car after being run-down - but miraculously escaped with just cuts and bruises.

Justin Futers, 47, was pinned by his legs with an engine pressing down on his shoulders, and couldn't move until he was rescued by emergency services.

He came within millimetres of being crushed by the front wheels as he was dragged beneath the blue Chevrolet on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Futers - who had just pulled out of a junction in Worthing, West Sussex - was wedged under the front of the car. His cycle was also trapped and left a mangled wreck.

He said: 'My head and my face were scraping the tarmac so it was pretty close. I didn't shut my eyes and think "this is it", although it could have been.

'The weight of the engine was right over my shoulders, there was a quarter of an inch between me and the rest of the car, it was that tight.'

Mr Futers, a painter and decorator, hopes these shocking images of his ordeal will be a warning to all road users to take extra care.

 

A former paramedic trainer, an ex-firefighter and an off-duty police officer were all among passers-by who came to his aid.

Emergency services arrived a short while later and took control of the rescue operation. Mr Futers, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, was released and taken to Worthing Hospital where he learned he had escaped with no broken bones.

He says he has not fully considered the psychological impact of the crash but vows to be back on his bike within a month.

He said: 'I can't remember what I was thinking at the time other than "There is a car on top of me".' Witness Mike Brampton, 53, who took the photos, said: 'It is a miracle the cyclist survived let alone escaped with no broken bones.

'As I approached the car all I could see underneath was a figure dressed in red, and I feared the worst.

'I was relieved that he could speak. It could have been a horrific accident, fortunately Justin got off incredibly lightly.'

A South East Coast Ambulance Service said they were called at 12.53pm on Saturday and sent two ambulances to the scene.

A man in his 40s was taken to Worthing Hospital while the driver, a 76-year-old local man, was checked over at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.