Man crushed by agricultural vehicle could walk again a year on from accident

Liam Earle's catastrophic injuries were compared to a bomb victim's

A mother has described the moment her son was left in "unfathomable pain" after a horrific accident involving a heavy agricultural vehicle.

Liam Earle, from Taunton in Somerset, suffered catastrophic injuries after being run over by the 11 tonne Caterpillar Telehandler in the village of Kingsbury Episcopi.

He was airlifted to Southmead Hospital, where he received treatment for an incomplete spinal injury, a broken neck and nine broken ribs among other injuries.

According to his mother Nicki Schantz, the investigating officer likened his injuries to a soldier who had been blown up by an IED.

A GoFundMe page has now been set up to help with Liam's recovery, which has already raised just under £20,000 after being set up last month.

Describing the day the horrifying accident happened, Ms Schantz said: “On January 20, I was having a quiet Sunday afternoon when I received a phone call from a local village resident telling me that Liam had had an accident and fallen off a low loader.

"We arrived at the scene minutes later to find Liam lying in the road with neighbours around and those involved in the accident itself had left the scene.

"Liam was conscious the entire time and in unfathomable pain. It was about 10 to 15 minutes before the emergency services arrived on the scene and Liam was subsequently airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

“As it turns out, Liam was run over by an 11 tonne Caterpillar Telehandler that had the brakes taken off by the farmer the week before.

"Liam has suffered unbelievable injuries and the last 10 months have been the hardest 10 months of our lives - something I wish no family to go through."

She went on to say Liam's family were living in uncertainty for months as to whether Liam would defy the odds and pull through.

"Liam was left with an incomplete spinal injury, a broken neck, nine broken ribs, fractures of vertebrae, exploded lower spine and fractured vertabrae," she said.

"His pelvis was shattered, part of which was put back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

“His pelvic surgeon, who didn’t think he would survive, described these injuries as a mid-body amputation and his spinal consultant said that in his 20 years’ experience, he had never seen injuries as serious or complex as Liam’s.

"The investigating officer likened his injuries to a soldier who had been blown up by an IED.

"Following four weeks in a coma, three months in hospital, seven months in a Spinal Rehabilitation Unit and 18 surgical procedures later (several more surgeries to come), Liam is nearing his discharge date."

Ms Schantz added it wasn't until July that Liam's family were told that his metal work was not infected and that they could be confident he would survive.

“To have to see one of the people you love the most suffer in the way that he has and continues to do, reduces me to tears every time I think about it too much," she said.

Liam continues to recover in Southmead Hospital. Money raised through the GoFundMe page will go towards the support, equipment and neurological physiotherapy to help Liam walk again.

Court sentence

In Taunton Crown Court on Tuesday (November 26), Clive Pearce from Martock was jailed in connection with the horrific incident.

The 50-year-old accepted that he dismantled the vehicle's braking system, leaving only the cable-operated handbrake as a means to stop.

He also accepted that he allowed Liam and a 24-year-old woman to sit in the bucket despite being against the vehicle manufacturer's guidelines and legislation.

The court also heard how Pearce used the Caterpillar Telehandler inappropriately to take signage down from height and driving the vehicle in such circumstances was dangerous.

He also admitted dangerous driving causing serious injury and driving without insurance at the first opportunity.

Pearce was sentenced to 10 months in prison and was banned from driving for two years and five months and ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.

Ms Schantz now wants people to avoid ending up in similar situations as her son.

She said: "People may say 'it's his fault' and yes he did have a few pints and yes he did get into the bucket but it's not as straight forward as that. 

"It’s difficult to explain. You live and grow up in a rural community and you see these things going on around you; riding on the back of tractors, in buckets etc.

"At the same time you are not part of the farming community so you don’t actually understand or are aware of the dangers associated with these kinds of activities.

You can donate to the GoFundMe page here.

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