A Fife woman who was left wheelchair-bound after being trapped under a lorry at a notorious accident black spot in Italy has defied doctors by learning to walk again.
Mary Strutt, 23, spent a week in intensive care at a hospital in Vimercate, near Milan, following the accident in May 2011 where doctors did not know whether she would live or die.
The then 21-year-old was cycling to the train station in Arcore when she was knocked off her bike and crushed under the front wheels of the heavy-duty vehicle.
Her right ear was cut straight off in the horrific crash, while emergency services initially thought her arms, legs and hips had all been broken.
The bike she was riding was completely destroyed and she also suffered serious internal injuries but left medical experts baffled as she embarked on a miracle recovery.
Mary, who was on her way to her new job helping to solve disputes between Italian and American companies when the accident happened, was later found to have two broken hips and a broken shoulder blade.
She was confined to a wheelchair following her release from hospital, although surgeons were able to re-attach her ear with almost no visible scarring.
Mary, from Strathmiglo, has undergone numerous operations and gruelling bouts of rehabilitation on her road to recovery.
The Italian authorities provide no financial support for accident victims which meant Mary had to enlist friends and family to raise around £7,000 for her healthcare.
Mary had been looking forward to marrying fiance Daniele Gelfi. But Daniele had to give up work to care for her and the trauma and the huge bills they faced have put paid to their plans.
“Daniele and I have decided to stay engaged until we recover, as it threw our jobs, plans and savings into the air,” he said.
“So while it’s still our plan to get married, we won’t be setting a date for now.”
Mary moved to Italy in 2007 to help at the Royal Acore School near Milan. Mary said “living with the memories is hard” but she has gained a new appreciation of life.