Four-leafed clover found on crash survivor's back

Medical staff found a four-leaf clover stuck to the back of a young driver who survived a crash which left him speared through the chest by a fence post, it was revealed today.

Raymond Curry, 20, was on his way to work when his Vauxhall Corsa overturned and rolled through a fence into a field near his home in Cramlington, Northumberland, on June 13.

He was flown to hospital still impaled by the piece of wood, which by chance had missed all his vital organs.

Two other posts had pierced his wrecked hatchback, but missed him by inches.

An air freshener inside the car somehow ended up inside his wounds, and was later removed.

It was at hospital that the lucky clover leaf was found on his back.

Mr Curry was recovering at home after having surgery to remove the stake, and part of his bowel, and was too tired to speak.

But he earlier told the Evening Chronicle newspaper after the crash that he felt incredible pain and believed he was going to die.

"I know how lucky I am to be alive," he told the newspaper.

"I'd never even seen a four-leaf clover until this happened, so it was good timing, I suppose."

Paramedic Jane Peacock, from the Great North Air Ambulance, was one of the team who treated Mr Curry, who was driving to work at Argos in Alnwick, Northumberland.

She said: "By God, he is a very lucky lad.

"It gave me a good chuckle when I heard afterwards about the four-leaf clover.

"On the scene he was stable but you do not know what is happening internally.

"I am delighted he has done so well.

"He was such a nice young lad. I'm chuffed to bits he was fine and there was nothing massively serious underlying once he was operated on."

She said some of the post was cut away by a fire crew so he could fit in the helicopter.

"The fence post had impaled him. He was absolutely remarkable as he was fully conscious.

"My heart went out to his parents - it must have been quite scary to see him like that."

The paramedic said he even remembered to thank her when he was dropped off at hospital in Newcastle.

"I don't think I would have been that polite," she said.

Mr Curry, who lives with his parents, had even urged a Good Samaritan who was first on the scene to ring his bosses to tell them he would not be at work.

The crash survivor now has the four-leaf clover mounted on his bedroom wall.

His family is fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.