Dr Eleanor Prior, known as Eli, a GP and mother of two, will receive a Special Recognition award at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards for her lifesaving actions after the train she was travelling on crashed near Bedford in June. The crash killed the driver and left 162 people injured.
Aftermath described as 'war zone'
Dr Prior was sitting in the front carriage of the train, on her way to a friend's 40th birthday in London, when it ploughed into a stationary train at around 50mph. The force of the impact threw her around eight metres down the aisle, leaving her with multiple injuries.
She said: "I remember seeing smoke and it was very quiet, with everything happening in slow motion. There was smashed glass and blood everywhere. It was like a war zone."
She rang 999 and yelled, "Bring everything, there's been a train crash". She then dragged herself towards the doors as everyone tried to escape the smoke-filled carriage, but realised she had to stay and help the wounded. She was one of the first to call 999, then worked alongside emergency services to triage passengers and even refused an ambulance for herself, insisting it went to someone else.
Last-minute seat choice called 'a miracle'
The 41-year-old, from Bedford, left for her evening out on June 19th. She said: "I was meeting three of my best friends. The ticket officer suggested I get the next train as it was busy, but I didn't want to be late." She then chose a seat with nothing opposite, a last-minute decision she calls "a miracle" that saved her from worse injuries.
She recalled: "I was typing on my phone. The next thing I'd travelled about eight metres. I'm not sure if I lost consciousness, but I hit my head. As I came to, my phone was somehow still in my hand. It was strangely quiet. I stumbled back to the doors."
She called her husband Chris, a 40-year-old teacher, who said: "As soon as you hear 'train crash', you think, 'That's hugely destructive'. She was sobbing, then she had to go." He added: "I thought either she's dead or she's helping people. I knew she wouldn't get off that train if someone else was hurt."
Passengers praise her bravery
Train driver Shaun Burton, 60, died in the crash, which happened at around 5.15pm at Elstow, about 2.5 miles south of Bedford Station. On the train, Dr Prior was faced with passengers who had some of the worst injuries.
Passenger Melanie Ross, a retired solicitor from Wellingborough, Northants, who broke her leg, said: "It was pandemonium, people were hysterical. Straight away I saw Eli on the phone, distinctive in her green dress. She looked very shaken and had clearly been thrown out of her seat." She added: "She stood up and shouted, 'My name's Eli, I'm a doctor'. Then she sprang into action. If it hadn't been for Eli, people would have died."
Millie Dudley, 21, a firefighter from Bedford Fire and Rescue Service, said: "As soon as I got on the train I saw Eli. She said, 'I am a little bit injured, but I'm here to help.' She didn't think about herself despite going through that same thing, it was just amazing."
Injuries and aftermath
It was only at this point that Dr Prior realised her hand was injured as she couldn't tie a tourniquet. However, she stayed with the injured, administering oxygen and pain relief, and helped a woman onto a spinal board. She also spoke to relatives who were calling passengers' phones.
She said: "I was one of the last people off the train. I was trying to manage things for about three hours." Chris took her to Bedford Hospital and she was later discharged after X-rays and an ultrasound to check for internal bleeding.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch reports that the train passed a red light at 76mph, braking only seconds before the collision. The stationary train had stopped after the Automatic Warning System activated its brakes.
Dr Prior has since had operations for her broken right (dominant) hand, which needed a plate and five screws, and treatment for her foot, knee and back, and still has no grip in her fingers, though she has recently managed to return to work. She said: "My whole body hurt. It felt like I was in a train crash, literally. I'm still in a lot of pain and seeing a psychologist for the trauma."
Dr Rob Willmore, from Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, said: "Thank you for everything you did that day. You were absolutely extraordinary. The kindness and bravery you showed was humbling - your calmness and humanity made a world of difference."
