A MUM has won compensation after she was miraculously plucked alive from a horrific smash when she was crushed between two lorries.

Emergency workers were initially unaware Katie Holt’s car was even between the HGVs because it was crushed into such a tight space.

Katie Holt, 39, a teacher, was cut from the wreckage on the A120 and airlifted to hospital where she was was treated for skull and back fractures and a broken left arm.

She spent ten days in hospital before she could return home, and it took two months for her to get her memory back, and learn to walk.

Kevin Mann, the driver of the Colchester Skip Hire truck which struck Mrs Holt from behind was fined £350 and given six penalty points after he admitted careless driving.

Now the married mum, from Colchester, has been awarded a settlement from the skip company insurers after bosses admitted liability. The final amount has not been disclosed.

Mrs Holt said: “I’m lucky to be here.

“When I saw the photos of the crash I was astonished. It’s amazing what the human body can do.

“I put 100 per cent into my recovery and it has not been easy.

“Doctors said that the extent of the collision they were surprised I hadn’t severed the tendons from my skull to my shoulders.

“But they said it wasn’t as bad as it could have been because I was quite muscular and robust.

“I still have no recollection of the crash I was involved in and can only remember coming round in the hospital.

“After seeing the pictures of the accident I feel incredibly lucky to be here.

“I can only hope what happened to me will illustrate to drivers, particularly those driving large vehicles, of the long-term consequences of even a slight lapse in concentration on the road.”

The smash happened when Mrs Holt was driving to work at Felsted Preparatory School, where she worked as assistant head.

She was stopped in queuing traffic on the A120 near Little Tey, in December 2014.

Those at the scene who called the emergency services were initially unaware Katie’s car was between the two lorries as it was crushed into such a tight space.

She was flown to Royal London Hospital where she underwent operation to restructure her arm and shoulder.

She suffered a deep cut to her left eye, damage to her optic nerve, a fractured skull, upper arm, shoulder joint and two chipped vertebrae.

The English teacher also had to learn to walk again after suffering numbness and weakness in her left arm and leg.

She is now back at work in a less senior role and plans to use the money to help her cope with vision and hearing problems, severe headaches, and memory loss.

A police investigation of Mann’s tachograph revealed he had not braked in time, ruling out that ice was a factor.

AFTER being discharged from hospital, crash survivor Katie Holt moved to stay with her parents so they could care for her while her husband, Rob, also a teacher, was at work.

Katie, who gave birth to daughter Ella three weeks ago, returned to full time work in September.

However, she said it difficult to put into words how much of an impact the incident has had on her life. 

She said: “I suffer with vision and hearing problems, as well as pain in my arms and legs.

 “I have got back to work but due to the ongoing problems I’m suffering my career progression will be hampered

“Thankfully, I have been able to make a good recovery and now a settlement has been agreed I know I’ll be able to access the treatment that will see me improve even further.”

Laura Murphy, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who represented Katie, said: “Katie’s escape and recovery has been nothing short of a miracle. 

“I know she wants to thank the emergency services for their swift response to the accident and the speed at which they got her out of the vehicle and to hospital.

“We hope she will be able to put this ordeal behind her and begin to focus the future with her family.”