THE father of a young man who died after a road accident only two days before Christmas has thanked the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) for trying to save his son’s life.

Nearly three years after the death of Robert Andrew Crick, 21, from Rillington, his father Kevin visited the GNAAS base at Durham Tees Valley Airport to meet the team who battled to save him.

Robert was travelling on his moped to Todd Waste Management, in East Knapton, where he worked as a weighbridge operator, when the accident happened on the A64 on December 23, 2014.

Kevin, 56, said: “He was on his way to work when a car pulled out and they collided, so he had no chance.

“The paramedics came, and then the air ambulance crew arrived and looked after Robert.”

Robert was assessed and treated on scene by the GNAAS trauma team before being flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, but died later that day. At his funeral, £1,400 was raised for GNAAS.

Mr Crick got in touch to personally thank the air ambulance service, after he heard a member of the GNAAS team talking on the

radio.

He said: “I heard someone from GNAAS talking about testimonials they’d received from people, so I had to ring in, because I wanted to pass on my thanks to the crew and everyone else who works there.”

Kevin and Robert’s stepmother Susan Crick, visited the charity’s air base and met paramedic Stuart Thompson, who came to Robert’s aid after the incident.

Kevin said: “I am eternally grateful for everything GNAAS did for Robert and it’s a privilege to meet the team.

“They tried to save my son and give him a chance to live, and although they managed to get him to the hospital quickly, unfortunately he didn’t make it.

“Because the air ambulance is a charity that relies on donations, I’ve got the T-shirt, the sweatshirt and I’m signed up to the lottery.

“I’ll do what I can to make sure we continue to have this service.”