Dr Eli Prior, a Bedford GP injured in the Elstow train crash, stayed three hours treating passengers. Her Pride of Britain award airs on ITV1 on 22 October.

A Bedford GP who was injured in the Elstow train crash, then stayed on board to treat other passengers, is to receive a Pride of Britain award.

Dr Eleanor Prior, known as Eli, is 41 and lives in Bedford. She will receive a Special Recognition award “in honour of her selfless, lifesaving action, despite her own injuries”. That is the citation published by the Daily Mirror, which runs the awards.

The ceremony will be shown on Thursday 22 October at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX, according to the Mirror. Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo host this year’s awards, the 27th.

What she did

Dr Prior was on her way to London on the evening of Friday 19 June. She was sitting in the front carriage. The Mirror’s account of her award says:

  • the impact threw her about eight metres down the aisle
  • she was one of the first people to call 999
  • she worked alongside the emergency services to triage passengers
  • she turned down an ambulance for herself so it could go to someone else
  • she stayed with the injured for about three hours and was one of the last off the train

Her right hand was broken. It has since needed an operation, with a plate and five screws. She also had treatment for her foot, knee and back, and has recently gone back to work.

“I remember seeing smoke and it was very quiet, with everything happening in slow motion,” she told the Mirror. “There was smashed glass and blood everywhere. It was like a war zone.”

The Mirror reports that passengers and the fire service had appealed on social media for “the woman with the blonde hair in the green dress”, so that they could thank her. That is where the name the “GP in the green dress” came from.

The crash

Two East Midlands Railway trains, both heading for London St Pancras, collided on the Midland Main Line near Elstow at about 17:13 on 19 June. The spot is about 2.5 miles south of Bedford station.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s interim report, published on 1 October, sets out the scale:

  • the driver of the 16:40 from Corby died
  • RAIB has so far identified 257 people on board the two trains
  • at least 160 were injured
  • 102 were taken to hospital

RAIB found the Corby train passed a red signal and hit the stationary Nottingham train at about 50 mph. That signal had no Train Protection and Warning System equipment. Our full report on RAIB’s findings explains why, and what happens next.

What it means for you

If you want to watch, the awards are on ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm on Thursday 22 October.

RAIB’s investigation is still going on and its final report will follow. We will report the final findings when they are published.