William Anderson, from Edinburgh, and his partner Karla Byrne were travelling to Norwich on August 8 when their car was hit by a suspected drunk driver, sending them down an 8ft ditch and into a farmer's field. The couple, who were on their way to Reepham Festival to see Callum Beattie perform, were treated at hospital but suffered no major injuries.
Crash on the A14
The pair were driving down the A14 around 10am when a BMW allegedly hit the central reservation and smashed into their back passenger door. The couple hit the kerb, spun, crashed through a wooden fence, and plunged into a ditch.
William, 55, said: "We knew we were going to crash when we hit the middle barrier. Every time we thought 'this is the spin that's going to kill us'. We tumbled down the top of the ditch and ploughed into a farmer's field. It felt like we were going in slow motion. It was chaos. We just held each other and waited for it to be over. We were singing, driving and looking forward to a normal day but now it's a day we will remember forever."
Aftermath and hospital visit
Emergency services attended the scene, and the couple were taken to hospital. Karla was rushed back to hospital that night with "unbearable" stomach pain, later revealed as a bladder blockage. It is unclear whether this was related to the incident.
Karla, 40, said: "What if we weren't so lucky? It's shocking to think our children could have been left without parents. I'm having flashbacks and finding it difficult to sleep. I don't want to drive because I can't trust others on the road."
William added: "It feels like someone was looking over us. Everyone kept saying how lucky we were and how we shouldn't have walked free. My parents died in the last 10 months and it feels like they were protecting us."
Driver charged
Abayomi Iluyomade, 39, the driver of the BMW, was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with drink driving, Cambridgeshire Police confirmed. He is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on September 7.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: "We were called at 10.07am on August 8 to a three-vehicle collision on the A14 Eastbound near Bythorn. Officers and paramedics attended and two people were treated for minor injuries. Abayomi Iluyomade, 39, of Reed Avenue, Desborough, was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with drink driving. He has been released on bail to appear at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on 7 September."
