Dave Powell
Back in the hot, dry summer of 1976, Constable Dave Powell of West Midlands Police was sitting in the back seat of a police car travelling at between 60-70 miles an hour on one of the few days that it rained heavily that year. At the time he was on a senior driving course. The instructor was in the front passenger seat, his heavily built colleague was sitting in the rear seat with Dave and the other student was driving. All the Officers had their seat belts on.
As the car, a 1.8 Marina, notorious for being heavy at the front and light at the rear, was negotiating a sharp left hand bend, the front nearside wheel sheared off, but this was not appreciated at the time. In the adverse road-holding conditions, and given the uneven weight distribution in the car, the driver was unable to maintain control and the car ended up in a field at the side of the road.
The police car was being followed by a Mercedes, the driver of which swerved to avoid the police car when he saw it go out of control, he decided he was too close to it to brake in the wet conditions, accelerated down the outside of the police car and caused a head-on collision with a Saab saloon which contained two elderly people who were killed outright.
The police car was propelled over a hedge and rolled over several times before coming to rest. Dave saw the roof of the car coming in and instinct told him to keep his head back on the rear parcel shelf. When the car came to a halt the roof where Dave was sitting was touching the hairs on the end of his nose as he sensed the paralysis move down his body. He was completely trapped in the rear seat, but fully conscious.
In the scramble to get out of the car, which had a full tank of petrol, one of Dave’s colleagues climbed over him and crushed some of his ribs. As the accident had happened in a remote country area, there was a delay in calling assistance, no mobile phones then and no Force radio. The Fire Brigade from Leominster arrived and had to cut Dave out of the car.
Later that day he was admitted to Hereford General Hospital where a series of x-rays were taken. Early the following day 29th September 1976, Dave was transferred to the West Midlands Spinal unit at Oswestry, where the full extent of his injuries was diagnosed: he had broken all the ribs on his left side, his sternum, his neck and his back in two places. As a consequence of these horrific injuries he is now paraplegic. He describes his condition as being completely paralysed ‘from the nipple line down’.
Dave was discharged from hospital on 9th February 1977 and incredibly, given the gravity of his injuries, returned to police duties three months later. His Chief Constable, Sir Phillip Knights, took a personal interest in his case and was keen that he should continue to serve as a police officer, rather than be employed as a civilian. He was posted to Brierley Hill Police Station and he undertook a number of jobs during the next nineteen years. A Force Welfare Officer put Dave in touch with the PDT.
The Trust has been able to assist Dave in many ways, principally by funding adaptations such as ramps and a step lift at his home in Wall Heath, Kingswinford, which he shares with his wife Margaret. They celebrate 40 years of marriage in June of this year. Dave says that ‘they broke the mould that they made Margaret with’. He says that she has been brilliant and that he would be lost without her.
Dave drives a specially adapted car fitted with hand controls, again funded by the Trust, he also has a wheelchair hoist fitted on the roof to give him independence. In addition, maintenance and holiday grants have also been provided.
He continued in police service for 20 years after the accident retiring in March 1996 on a medical pension.
Dave thanks the Trust for all the help and support that they have given him and his family since the accident. It has been greatly appreciated.
Dave Powell and his family.
Please pass on my thanks to the Police Dependants' Trust for their kind cheque. It really helps. Thank you.
