A Co Wexford man who was found alive three days after crashing off the road into a 20ft gully outside of Wellingtonbridge checked himself out of hospital within three days and is recovering at home.
ohn Wall (30) left his home in rural south Co Wexford on Saturday afternoon, January 7.
His partner Ciara Kent (25) said: “I was sick with a cough and a cold and had fallen asleep and when I woke up I noticed the jeep was gone.”
She tried phoning John but got no response.
“I put something up on Facebook that he was missing. A woman and her partner and her brother were driving outside Wellingtonbridge on Tuesday afternoon at around 2.30 p.m. and they saw a black jeep while stuck at a traffic light.”
The black Nissan Qashqai had crashed off the road and only for road works and the fact the occupants of the car were stopped at a traffic light, they probably wouldn’t have spotted the dark coloured jeep, Ciara said.
“Another accident had happened on the road as well. It was right beside Moran’s car garage right by the river. The car was after going over right by the river.”
Emergency services arrived from Wexford and New Ross and three fire units arrived before 3 p.m. and worked to cut the roof off of the vehicle.
Throughout John was in and out of consciousness.
“They were nearly two hours getting him out. The car is a total write off. The firemen have been so good and have been in touch asking how he is.”
John was rushed to University Hospital Waterford with swelling on the brain, three broken bones in his back, Septicemia and a chest injury, among other injuries.
On Wednesday evening John awoke in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was able to talk with Ciara over the phone.
Ciara said the fact that he is stocky and a regular gym goer probably saved his life.
“He said he couldn’t wait to get back into the gym, but I told him he has a long road to recovery. The nurses and doctors have been brilliant.”
John has been visited by his parents, partner and her daughter, with whom he is very close.
“He is in a back brace and will need a lot of treatment, but he is going to live. I am so grateful to the girl and her husband who found him.”
Going against medical advice John checked himself out of University Hospital Waterford on Friday and returned home.
Ciara said: “He’s doing Ok and is getting better slowly.”
John had an MRI on Tuesday on his back and to se how is brain is after the accident.
“His brain was swollen after the crash.”
Ciara said she is forever grateful to the people who spotted John, adding that she got flowers for them as a small expression of gratitude.
