"Emergency air lifted after tractor accident"

I am a farmer and was working on my tractor trying to free up a gear leaver underneath. I thought the tractor was in park and therefore could not move, but unfortunately I must have caught my coat in the lever when I got another tool to use, without realizing.

When I hit the other gear lever under the tractor it proceeded to run over both my legs, but although badly bruised no bones were broken. I then thought as the tractor went over me that if I didn't move inline with the tractor if the dung spreader tyre went over me I would die. I lined myself up as best I could as the tractor moved forward but the drawbar of the dung spreader caught me and came up my back breaking 8 ribs on left and 6 on right and both collar bones.

The tractor then stalled as it ran into a fence and everything went quiet. By this time I was crawing out the back of under the dung spreader and was on my feet. I knew that if I didn't walk 300 metres to my home where my phone was I would die.

I think because I exerted myself walking up the hill it helped open up my rib cage (what was left of it). I got my phone and sat outside on a chair as I am aware that you should lie down with chest injuries.

I called my eldest daughter who then rang the air ambulance who after a little confusion as to where I was, as they were expecting me to be still under the tractor, came to my aid and took me to Derriford Hospital Plymouth.

I didn't call 999 myself as I knew they would have to go down their sheet of questions and I neither had the puff or the patience to speak to them.