Horror accident victim Margaret Williams has spoken out about her brush with death as she was run over by a reversing van in the centre of Dartmouth

The rear wheel of the commercial van ran right over the 74-year-old's body, crushing her arm, chest and face and leaving her in intensive care for five days.

Her face was so badly 'squashed' she lost all her teeth, while her arm was in plaster from her fingertips to her shoulder and she was warned she would never be able to use it again.

'They said I should have died. I had all sorts of injuries – so many I can't tell you about them,' she said.

The accident that happened 16 months ago still affects her today leaving her too frightened to go out of her home without being accompanied by a friend.

'When I go out I go out with a friend because I have not got the confidence any more. I hear a car coming and I am afraid. The specialist has said that I am still in shock from what happened and it will probably take another three years,' she said.

Miss Williams was injured as she crossed the road near Boots the Chemist at the junction of the Quay and Fairfax Place, at around 8.10am on Friday, October 22, 2010.

A large commercial delivery van, reversing out of Spithead around into Fairfax Place, struck her, ran right over her and then drove away.

The driver of the van, 49-year-old Alan Cross, of Davies Close, Silverton, near Exeter, was convicted of dangerous driving, at Plymouth Crown Court following a three-day trial after pleaded not guilty.

Cross was jailed for three months last Friday. He was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to retake his driving test at the end of his disqualification.

Meanwhile, Miss Williams, of Mayors Avenue, Dartmouth, recalled the day she almost died. She said: 'I was out early doing my shopping because I had to got to Townstal for a flu jab. It was a nice bright morning. I got to Boots and went to cross the road. I looked right and left even though the road was closed off because of the fire. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. He drove over me twice. The second time I must have rolled under him because the wheel missed me.

'All I know is I was in Torbay Hospital for five days in intensive care. I was in Torbay Hospital until November 5 and then I was in Dartmouth Hospital until just before Christmas. My arm was in plaster for six weeks.'

She had 60 get-well cards from friends while she was in hospital although at one stage there were rumours in the town that she had died, she said.

She said she had been warned that she would never move her arm again but thanks to the physiotherapy treatment she still had the use of it.

'My face was squashed along with my glasses and all my teeth were knocked out. I should have died in Torbay Hospital,' she added.

'My chest was so badly injured they said that if I had got a chest infection I would have certainly died. One of the surgeons told me I must be a tough old bird.'

She still has nightmares about the accident and added; 'Some mornings I wake up shaking.'

She has only been to the part of town where the accident happened on two or three occasions in the last year – and then only with a friend for support.

Even then she had to keep here eyes on the shop window to get past because she was shaking so much.

Although she can still use her arm, it is so weak she cannot do any cooking.

'I live on Marks and Spencer's food now,' she added.

She said she is also left shaking every time she sees a delivery vehicle from the same meat company as the van that struck her.

'Over the last week their vans seem to have been haunting me,' she said.

She praised the hospital doctors who saved her life, the nurses who looked after and the physiotherapy specialists who helped her get home.

'I cannot fault any of them,' she said.