A man is "lucky to be alive" after he ran over himself with a tractor in a field in Higham on New Year's Day.

It is thought the man, named locally as Phil, fell out of the tractor as he manoeuvred it in a field off Hermitage Road, shortly after 9am last Friday (January 1).

Despite suffering multiple injuries, he crawled to his car and called an ambulance. Minutes later an air ambulance landed nearby and rushed him to hospital.

Ambulance services are thought to have said Phil would have probably been killed, had the ground not been so muddy,

Chris Roberts, 65, of Stable Cottage, which overlooks the field, was at home when the incident happened.

News Shopper:

The incident is said to have happened in the lower field pictured

He told News Shopper: "My daughter Katie rushed down to see what was going on.

"Apparently he had been doing his horses when he fell off the tractor and the tractor's gone straight over the top of him.

"I'm not sure how exactly it's happened.

"After the tractor went over him he crawled back to his car and managed to call the ambulance.

"There were ambulances, fire engines, police at the scene. An air ambulance landed in a nearby field and took him off to hospital.

"The ambulance man told him afterwards if the ground wasn't so muddy it would have killed him. He's lucky to be alive."

Mr Roberts, who has lived in Stable Cottage for three years, said he's never heard of anything like this happening before.

He added: "I initially thought someone had been hurt on one of the horses, I didn't dream it was something like this.

"Fortunately I think he was just badly bruised in the end. He's probably resting at home now.

"I own a very similar tractor and now, whenever I go down to use it, I make sure I bring my mobile phone with me."

News Shopper:

Chris Roberts' home Stable Cottage (left) overlooks the field in which the incident took place

Phil, a regular visitor to the stables off Hermitage Road, where he keeps his horses, was flown to King’s College Hospital in less than half an hour.

He had sustained injuries to his chest, hand, upper leg, upper arm and lower leg.

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police was called at 9.45am on January 1 to an address in Hermitage Road, Higham, following a report that a man had been in collision with a tractor.

"He was taken to hospital and treated for injuries described as superficial.

"The matter has been referred to the Health and Safety Executive."

Do you know Phil? Call the newsroom on 01689 885711 or email patrickgg@london.newsquest.co.uk