A Northamptonshire cyclist who was severely injured in a high-speed crash, is tackling a 112 mile bike ride to raise money for the air ambulance crew who saved his life.

Andy Cross, 47, crashed into a wall while cycling down Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District on August 30, 2023.

The crash ruptured his spleen and liver, punctured a lung, shattered his shoulder blade and broke multiple ribs.

Mr Cross said: "I was gasping for breath at the side of the road and there were people around me trying to help.

The Westmorland Gazette: GNAAS doctor Laura Duffy, Andy Cross, son Dayton, daughter Erin, wife Carrie, NWAS paramedics Jules

"I remember my wife Caroline arriving and the ambulance service and being put into the back of the ambulance."

Transported to hospital by paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), his condition deteriorated, prompting paramedics to request assistance from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) critical care team.

Dr Laura Duffy, a GNAAS doctor, said: “We were flying back from another job when we got tasked to the incident.

“He was a cyclist that had been coming down Kirkstone Pass, which is an infamous and notorious road in the Lake District, that is great for cyclists and good fun to do, but there are a lot of accidents there.

"We landed on a field nearby and got to the back of the ambulance and did some interventions to make him more comfortable as he was in a lot of pain."

The Westmorland Gazette: Mr Cross decided to face the gruelling Fred Whitton Challenge, a difficult one-day event in May, to

Mr Cross was then airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for further treatment.

Since his recovery, he's met with the paramedics and Dr Duffy, who he credits with saving his life.

Mr Cross said: "There’s not a day that goes past that I don’t think of the air ambulance, the paramedics and everybody who helped on that day.

"I am grateful that I’ve been able to meet them and say thank you."

Mr Cross decided to face the gruelling Fred Whitton Challenge, a difficult one-day event in May, to raise funds for the GNAAS.

He added: “I know the Fred Whitton is one of the toughest routes in the country, and it actually goes past where I had the accident.

"I thought it was a great opportunity for me to raise money and awareness for GNAAS, but also come to terms with what happened.

"To be able to build up my confidence to go back on a bike and cycle down that road again, I’ll have come full circle."

GNAAS needs to raise £8.5m annually to remain operational.

More on supporting the charity can be found at gna.as/fund247.