A Darlington couple have been forced to postpone their wedding after a 'terrifying' crash on the A171. Andrew Calder and Alixandra Cadden-Young were involved in the collision in the van he uses for his business while driving home from a food festival on Sunday, August 9.
Initially set for September 5, the couple have rescheduled their special day for January 2, with all involved honouring the booking. The crash could have been much worse for the pair, given the seriousness of the collision.
Eleven fractures and surgery
Alix, 47, was left temporarily unable to walk after two simultaneous head-on collisions caused her to suffer eleven fractures, including in her legs and ribs, with surgery required on her pelvis. Supported by Andrew, 48, she can now walk for a few steps as her recovery continues.
On the crash, Andrew said: "The situation has been very traumatic and stressful for both of us, and it happened after such a lovely day at Filey Food Festival. We have been going there for years, and had sold a lot of Calder's Kitchen products, so we were really happy as we drove back."
Impact on business and recovery
Andrew described the moment of impact: "With it being a single carriageway road, we went around quite a blind bend, and all of a sudden there was a car driving right towards us. I think our brains must process things quickly, because it could have only been about a second, but I remember thinking: 'I'm about to die'."
"When the car hit us, the impact was terrifying, like a bomb going off, and the van was spun around, before we suffered another head-on collision, which hit the passenger side more. We think that's what did most of the damage to Alix, and this has had a huge impact on our lives."
The crash also hit Andrew's business, Calder's Kitchen, which focuses on his grandad's piccalilli recipe from the 1950s and has expanded to sell a range of products. Andrew said: "It's a one person business, and we cover the whole of the North East, but this has had a huge impact on our revenue, as it has put me out of action for weeks during what is usually a really busy period of the year, with events and deliveries."
He added: "I've had to make some hard financial decisions to keep up payments and stay afloat, and we have stock, but that is about it, so we have had to hire a van and are looking to rebuild everything. I am grateful that we were still able to do the Fenwick launch in some capacity, as that really helped us out."
Support and looking forward
The launch mentioned was for a new range of products in the Newcastle city centre department store's Food Hall, which took place last Saturday, September 19. Andrew said that with the event it was "really nice to get back to normal", adding that he received "great feedback".
On the support the couple have received, he added: "People who were there on the day of the crash have been messaging us and wishing us the best, after getting our details off the side of the van. There has been so much kindness which has been lovely to see."
He concluded: "We have just been moving forward the best that we can, you have to really, and we have had low moments for sure, but have kept on going. There is a lot of positivity which has come out of a very negative situation, and we are looking forward to our future."
