THIS is the shocking moment a Royal Mail driver narrowly escaped death after his lorry was taken out by a crop sprayer.
David Gotham, 50, was driving home after a night shift in Cornwall when one of the spraying arms swung out and hit his lorry.
His wife, Evie Gotham, has expressed how lucky he is to be alive after the crash, which took place on August 25, 2023, left her husband in a medically induced coma for nearly three weeks.
David has tragically been left with life-long injuries as a result of the collision.
Evie told Cornwall Live: “When I went to the hospital his right ribcage was under his arm.
“One of his ribs was in his lungs.
“His liver was ruptured and his other lung was struggling and only working about 10 per cent of its capacity.”
NHS staff at Derriford, Plymouth, managed to save his life, however, the former delivery driver is now blind in his right eye and has permanent nerve damage in one of his arms.
Evie said that David has had to relearn how to eat, walk and go to the toilet by himself, yet for all he has suffered, the man who caused the damage has been spared from prison.
His injuries mean David is no longer able to drive lorries, after working behind the wheel for Royal Mail for 30 years.
Evie said: “We are lucky that he is alive.
“It was touch and go at Derriford.
“On two occasions, the doctors told me he may not make it through the night.
“It was pretty scary. He still suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had to go through counseling for the nightmares he kept having.”
Nearly two years on from the incident, which took place near the former Chybucca junction on the A30, the farmer to blame has now been sentenced.
However, Evie is far from happy with the case’s conclusion.
She said: “Considering what my husband went through, I think the sentence he received is shocking.
“I got the impression that he was not remorseful but David nearly died.”
Paul Harris, 69, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless / inconsiderate driving when he appeared before Truro Magistrates’ Court earlier this year.
Today, he was sentenced to a 12-month driving disqualification and was fined £480.
Evie believes this to be a very lenient sentence, saying: “In a sense David and I are glad that he pleaded guilty and it was dealt with quickly so David didn’t have to go through it all again in court.
“We don’t wish Mr Harris any harm, and justice has been served, but we wished he had received a bit more justice.”
She added: “Even if he doesn’t feel bad about it or doesn’t seem to show any remorse, he’ll still live with this for the rest of his life.
“Unfortunately, so will David.”
Mr Harris was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £192.
David returned to Royal Mail 6 months after his near-death experience, and now works in the office at their Roborough site.
Evie said: “The Royal Mail have been so supportive.
“They have been phenomenal and so have the police officers who investigated the collision.
“We want to thank PC Chris Braddom from Camborne police who has helped us so much through this.
“He has been brilliant.”
