Crash boy released from hospital

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A boy who survived a car crash which killed four members of his family has been released from hospital.

Paula Gilbert, 29, her partner Neil Jex, 37 and sons Tristan, three and Kaiden, seven months, from Hebburn died on the A1 near Catterick on 3 March.

Macauley Gilbert, eight, from South Tyneside, was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance staff set up an appeal for the youngster, which has now raised £30,000.

It was the worst sight I'd seen in 20 years as a paramedic and poor Macauley was caught up in the middle of it all Paul Bradbury, Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedic

Air ambulance crews dubbed Macauley the "miracle boy" and set up a special website to receive donations, which has collected £22,000 of that cash.

Paul Bradbury, a paramedic who attended the crash scene, said: "It's fantastic news to hear that Macauley's already out of hospital.

"When we saw the state of the accident scene and the condition he was in then, we thought he would be in hospital for months - not just one.

"It was the worst sight I'd seen in 20 years as a paramedic and poor Macauley was caught up in the middle of it all. We gave him a teddy bear to try to make him feel better but we wanted to do more and that's why we set up the appeal."

Trust fund

He added that the money raised would be put into a trust fund to help Macauley when he was older.

Macauley Gilbert was treated for two broken legs and a broken wrist at Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital.

He was then transferred to Sunderland Royal Hospital.

North Yorkshire Police said he was "fragile" but had been released from hospital and was recovering with his family.

The family had been heading from their home on South Tyneside to Blackburn to see relatives when the crash happened.