A FORMER councillor recalled the terror of being involved in a serious crash - and praised a good samaritan and a fire crew who cut her free from the wreckage.

Verina Weaver, 60, of Rayleigh Road, Eastwood, was “petrified” when firemen told her they had to cut the roof off to extract her from her car after the smash in Elm Road, Shoebury, on Saturday.

The former Southend councillor said: “I was an awful mess after the crash. I just broke down.

“I was only just getting used to driving again after a bad accident in December.

“I was squashed between two cars after a driver hit the accelerator by mistake.

“Because I suffer from osteoporosis, it caused me a lot of problems.

“I was also left suffering with severe anxiety attacks and lost my confidence altogether.

“So when this crash happened, my first thought was that I couldn’t believe this was happening again.

“Thankfully, a woman who lives in Elm Road and saw the crash rushed out to help and she was fantastic. She called the ambulance and helped calm me down.”

Because of Mrs Weaver’s condition, the firefighters did not want to risk extracting her any other way and decided they had to remove the roof, writing off Mrs Weaver’s car.

She continued: “It was an absolutely petrifying experience. I was a bit of a mess but Simon, one of the firefighters, was wonderful. He got in the car with me and held my head. The noises were immense, especially when they cracked the windscreen.” Mrs Weaver was taken to Southend Hospital and was treated for three hours before being released.

She added: “Without wanting to get political, I would always fight to keep the services at Southend Hospital.

“Shoebury to Basildon on a Saturday afternoon would have taken a heck of a lot longer.

“I cannot praise the emergency services and the hospital enough. I never expected to have all those people mobilised for me.

“It was all very professional and quick but thorough as well.

“Getting back into a car will be difficult but I’ve feel incredibly lucky to have walked away from this. I feel like someone must be looking out for me.”