A 23-year-old postwoman has described the terrifying head-on collision she survived while driving to her mother's home on Christmas Day morning.
A Christmas Journey Turns to Horror
Dennie Butters was halfway through her short trip on Thursday, 25 December 2025, when the crash occurred. Travelling on Nottingham Road near the village of Costock in south Nottinghamshire, her Dacia collided head-on with an Audi that was on the wrong side of the road as she navigated a bend.
"I remember everything apart from the impact. I remember him being right in front of me and it going black," Ms Butters recounted. The young woman, who had recently moved to Cotgrave and was heading to Quorn in Leicestershire, found herself trapped in the wreckage in excruciating pain.
Trapped in the Wreckage and a Miraculous Rescue
Ms Butters said the crash launched her forward, leaving her knees packed under the steering wheel and her pelvis trapped beneath the seat's edge. "It was incredibly painful the whole time. It felt like my back was being ripped apart," she said.
Quick-thinking bystanders, including an off-duty nurse and a police officer, rushed to her aid. Emergency services, including police, firefighters and an air ambulance, were soon on the scene. Firefighters from East Leake Fire Station initially cut off the car's roof but were unable to free her. She was eventually released using a hydraulic spreader, which effectively split the car in half.
She was told her survival was against the odds. "One of the firemen and someone else told me I probably shouldn’t have survived. If I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt I would’ve had a zero per cent chance," Ms Butters stated.
Serious Injuries and a Painful Family Echo
The postwoman sustained numerous serious injuries in the crash, including:
- A broken wrist
- Torn abdominal muscles, leaving her large intestine protruding
- Various cuts and bruises
- A knee injury requiring surgery after it was penetrated by the steering rack
She remains at Queen's Medical Centre, unsure of her discharge date, after spending Christmas in hospital with her mother and stepdad. The other driver involved sustained minor injuries.
The ordeal was "very odd" for the family, given the tragic loss of her father in a crash in 2008. "It was pretty much exactly how my dad went. Having her husband and daughter go like that, I don’t think [my mum] would’ve got through that," Ms Butters said.
East Leake Fire Station confirmed their crew helped free Ms Butters and hand her over to medics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service and HeliMed. She was reported as stable for transport to the Queen's Medical Centre.
