A MOTHER has thanked kind-hearted strangers who helped her after she was involved in a car crash.

Shazia Quyyam was driving through Farnworth with her 17-year-old son when her car was hit by another vehicle.

The mother-of-three said she was driving through New Bury and was at the junction of St James Street and Tennyson Road when a car collided with the passenger side of her vehicle.

She said: “I was just driving along and a young lad pulled out and hit us side on and caused our car to spin around.

“I got out and collapsed because it had caused a trapped nerve in my leg.

“My son had hurt his neck and his back.

"A lady pulled her car over and she stayed with us the whole time.

“Another man came over from the nearby Tesco with a blanket for me as well as I was on the ground.”

Miss Quyyam said somebody phoned an ambulance at 3.30pm – but claims that due to pressures at Royal Bolton Hospital it was only able to get to her an hour later.

The North West Ambulance Service was unavailable to comment on the claims.

Despite the long wait, Miss Quyyam said residents of New Bury stayed with her and her son throughout the ordeal.

The 43-year-old, of Little Hulton, said: “People are always saying that New Bury is a really rough estate and it is always getting a bad press but there are a lot of nice people.

“The residents in St James Street were coming out of their houses and asking whether they could get us any tea or coffee and if we would like anything from the shop.

“The man from Tesco covered me with the blanket, because I couldn’t move my leg at all and he was telling me ‘not to move’ in case I did any further damage to my leg.

“I didn’t get his name but I believe he lives above the Tesco store.

“The lady who helped was called Carley Acton.

“I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their help.”

Miss Quyyam, who works as a dental ceramist, has not been able to return to work since the crash on January 2.

She is also waiting to hear back about the damage to her car but fears it will be written off following the accident.

She added: “We were very lucky to be alive.

“People have said that there must have been an angel looking over us.

“I am glad my five-year-old son wasn’t in the car with us.”