'I left a house party and got crushed under a car'
Annie Butt started her night at a house party, and ended it crushed underneath a car.
In September 2018, the college student, then 19, was flung out of the vehicle in a high-speed crash, before it came to a stop on top of her. She broke 24 bones. A fellow partygoer, Hayden Brown, who had been driving, lost control and crashed into two police officers, one of whom lost a leg. Brown - a road safety technician - fled, leaving all three of them in the wreck. Ms Butt, who earlier that night had also driven after drinking and taking cocaine, wants others to learn from her mistakes. Here, in her own words, she recalls what happened and reflects on how it has changed her attitude to life. 'It was meant to be a chilled night' It was Saturday night and I was at home in bed. I had no plans to go out when my friends invited me to a woman's house party in Maidenhead where I live. I felt pressured to come out, but I ended up going and having a good time. My friend Stuart was there and his twin brother, Hayden, arrived later on. At around 5am, Stuart, Hayden, a guy called Charlie and I popped out to get more booze. The party host said Hayden could borrow her car and drive us. But when all four of us got in, Hayden and I decided to swap around the corner as I felt I had been drinking less and was in a better state to drive. That night Hayden had been drinking vodka, snorting cocaine and inhaling nitrous oxide balloons. I drove to petrol stations and shops looking for alcohol. On the way back Hayden got back behind the wheel to drive us. He seemed OK for the short drive back, and we didn't want the host to know somebody else had been driving her car. 'I was in unimaginable pain' I got in the back with his twin brother, but then he [Hayden] started to show off and start speeding to make the traffic light at a railway bridge. In the back we were telling him to slow down but he didn't listen. The car was going so fast, and as soon as we got out of the tunnel I saw a police car. It was like being in a videogame. When I woke up I was screaming in unimaginable pain. The car had hit a taxi, spun into the police car and flipped on to its side. I was lying in the road and the car was on top of my legs. My life flashed past me. I thought I was going to die. 'He had his leg amputated' I had 24 broken bones. My pelvis was shattered, ribs cracked, collarbone broken, I had spinal fractures and a broken leg. For a couple of weeks I could not move, and I later caught [the superbug] MRSA. Being in hospital for those six weeks was horrible. I felt trapped, it was like being under that car again. And I was an hour away from home. My mum had to come down every day to the hospital in Oxford. When I came out she became my carer. In hospital I also learnt the car had crashed into two police officers doing a traffic stop on a taxi, seriously injuring them. PC Wai-man Lam suffered leg injuries and has post-traumatic stress disorder. Sgt Tom Dorman had his leg amputated due to his injuries. 'He has ruined lives' I felt like I was being interrogated by police in hospital, and I ended up having a panic attack. It was not until eight months later that I was no longer under investigation. When Hayden's trial started in November last year, I was really nervous about giving evidence in court as a witness. But when I got to court only then I realised his whole defence was that I was driving at the time of the crash, even though my medical records prove it was impossible. I was terrified, but knew I had to do it for everyone that got hurt. You might also like: When the jury delivered their verdict, finding him guilty of three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, I burst out in tears. I was happy because we finally got justice, and it felt like I was finally believed after being accused by him. It was also nice to speak to PC Lam and Sgt Dorman and tell them how sorry I was over the situation. I could have forgiven Hayden if he was sorry, but he had no remorse at all. I find it hard to believe he will ever understand what he did. The judge gave him the maximum sentence. But I don't think five years was enough. The law needs to be changed. He has ruined lives and put us through horrible torment. 'Drink and drug-driving is not worth it' I am now disabled and cannot fully put my heel down to the ground to walk. I need further operations on my leg and part of my skin is numb to touch. Despite this, I am trying to change my life in positive way. Now I'm more responsible and trying to get my life on track. I guess it was an epiphany. I'm also looking forward to starting university. Thinking back, I should never have got in the car in the first place or driven it. I should have just gone home. I was extremely lucky to escape with my life. Drink and drug-driving is not worth it - you have to think about other people. The police officers did not deserve it, and they got hurt in the process. Imagine if you hurt a child. I still think about that night all the time. It will never leave me. As told to André Rhoden-Paul