Searching for the ‘angel’ who held me on

Will was walking over Westminster Bridge in London when a car crashed into him from behind. He didn’t know it, but he’d been caught up in a terror attack that killed five people and injured 50. In the chaos that followed a stranger looked after him. But then they were separated and he could only remember her face…

Will is stressed. He’s due to meet the team he’ll be working with at his new job and he’s running late. He’s taken extra care with his outfit today, wearing smart jeans and his favourite brown suede shoes. As he rushes down the road he decides the quickest route will be to take the Jubilee Line from Westminster underground station. He walks on to Westminster Bridge and starts to cross the Thames towards Parliament.

Cristina is in a pound shop picking up cleaning products. She’s just come from a talk about the economies of developing nations – a topic she became interested in while volunteering in China and Myanmar.

Placing her purchases in her bike basket, she decides to head home via Westminster Bridge. It’s a little out of her way but Cristina considers it the prettiest bridge in London. She pushes off from the kerb and merges into the traffic.

There are a lot of tourists on the north side of the bridge so Will crosses to the other side where he can walk faster. He sprays deodorant under his shirt as he goes. It’s a miserable March day and he curses as it starts to rain. He suddenly hears a car accelerating loudly behind him. He has the sensation of being propelled forward, before everything goes dark.

Cristina thinks nothing of the heavy traffic but then she hears screams. She sees people streaming off the bridge and a passer-by tells her to turn back as there has been a terrible accident. Instead she parks her bike and continues on foot. She has basic nursing training and thinks she can help.

She reaches a young man in brown shoes lying on the wet road with another man hovering over him. She asks if there is anything she can do.