'They may have saved my life' - Pensioner, 98, near Banbury thanks teenage samaritans who helped him after nasty fall

John Leafhead was walking back to his King’s Sutton home after having dinner at his daughter’s house on Sunday, September 8.

It was around 9pm and, with it being dark, John was unable to see properly. He tripped on the pavement and took a nasty fall just 30 yards from his home.

John was unable to lift himself from the pavement; he didn’t have his mobile phone on him, and there was no one around to hear his cries for help.

John said: “I was next to a busy road and cars could see me in their headlights. I kept waving at drivers to get their attention, but no one stopped.

“After around half an hour, a car stopped and three young lads came over, who called an ambulance and got hold of my daughter.”

The three young men, who stayed for hours with John until the ambulance arrived, were Lewis Prosser, Alex Lailey and Leo Anderson, all aged 17.

They got John back to his driveway and sat with him for several hours, covering him with blankets and ensuring that he was ok.

John said: “If they hadn’t have stopped, I’m not sure what might have happened because it was cold. I’m very grateful to them.

“These young men may have saved my life. They are a real credit to their generation and a possible example to their elders.

“I was very impressed by them; all those people drove past me, and it was only the young lads that stopped.”

John has also thanked his daughter and her husband, Judith and Peter Warren, for their assistance in making sure he was ok on the night.

Following the accident, John was taken to the Horton General Hospital, where it was discovered he had suffered one hairline fracture to the sternum and another on his hip.

John said: “They looked after me really well in the Horton and my fractures are slowly getting better. I would also like to thank the staff there.”