AN accident victim left fighting for his life after an horrific road smash will meet the firefighters who battled to free him.

Darren Shuttleworth, 33, of Middlesbrough, Teesside, was trapped for 40 minutes in the mangled wreckage of his works van after it collided with a cement lorry on the B1267 at Apple Orchard Bank, Skelton last year.

The road was closed for two hours as fire fighters strove to release Mr Shuttleworth from the wreckage and clear the road.

Mr Shuttleworth suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his arm, hip and ribs in the accident, one September afternoon.

Luckily the lorry driver was unhurt and Mr Shuttleworth's passenger suffered only minor injuries.

But he spent weeks in intensive care at Middlesbrough General Hospital, fighting for survival.

Three months after the crash, after making a miraculous recovery, he was able to return home to his wife, Nicola, and young son Daniel, two.

Today (mon) Mr Shuttleworth will be reunited for the first time with members of the fire crew which battled to save his life.

He said: "To be honest I can't remember anything about the accident but obviously I would not be here without the firemen who got me out.

"All in all I believe there were 21 people involved in rescuing and treating me after the accident.

"I can't thank them all in person but I am extremely grateful to them and want to thank them."

Mr Shuttleworth has lost his job since the accident and is still too ill to return to work, but he knows he is lucky to be alive.

He said: "I am just grateful that I can be with my family. Daniel had to spend his second birthday in the hospital visiting me but I was just so happy to be able to share it with him.

"Without the firemen who worked so hard to free me I don't know what would have happened."

Mr Shuttleworth is taking his family to Middlesbrough fire station on Monday so they can all meet the heroes who attended the accident scene.