A woman who thought she had killed her boyfriend in a car accident arranged for his classic car to be restored to full glory as a surprise for him after he recovered.
Debbie Jennings and Jeremy Saunders had been out for the evening and she was driving her BMW through foul weather in heavy rain.
Debbie, a nanny from Stoke Mandeville, recalled: “Part of the road had subsided and filled with rain and the car aquaplaned, I lost control and the car hit a big signpost on the passenger side where Jeremy was sitting. The car flipped and ended up in a ditch on the roof. Jeremy was unconscious, I thought I’d killed him and he was dead, it was horrendous.”
Jeremy, a mechanic from Ivinghoe, survived the accident but his back was broken and he spent six months in a brace lying on his back. Thankfully he can now walk again but has been left with nerve damage and pain.
Debbie said: “I know it was an accident but I’ve never felt guilt like it, he will never be 100%.”
Determined to bring happiness to Jeremy, Debbie entered his prized possession, a rare 1960s sky blue Fiat Spider into Car SOS, a new programme on the National Geographic channel.
Unknown to Jeremy the programme makers whisked the car away and restored it to full gleaming glory before presenting it to him at Luton Hoo Hotel in November.
Jeremy, who is now back at work full time, said: “It was magic and a real shock, the last time I’d driven it was years ago. It was a lovely thing for Debbie to do.”
The show airs tonight (Thursday) at 8pm.