A woman whose spinal cord was severed in a car crash says she is “closer than ever before” to her best friend who was driving at the time.

Single mum-of-three Rachel Cooper, who is now in a wheelchair and faces more major surgery next month in a bid to walk again, says she has never blamed her friend for what happened.

Her pal Zoe Broadbent was at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this week pleading guilty to dangerous driving, but was spared jail after Miss Cooper asked the judge to show mercy.

The pair and another friend had been on their way to Newcastle for a night out on June 12 last year to celebrate Miss Cooper’s birthday when the crash happened on the A1(M) near Durham.

Miss Broadbent, who is also a mother-of-three, had lost control when she came up to slow-moving traffic and collided with a caravan. The car overturned and came to rest on the central reservation.

Just moments before the collision, Miss Cooper, who lives in Mortimer Avenue, Bradford Moor, had undone her seatbelt to get something out of her bag. She had to be airlifted from the accident scene to hospital in Middlesbrough.

Her spinal cord was severed and she suffered three broken bones in her back, damaged ligaments, fractures in both pelvic bones, a pierced right kidney and a punctured right lung. She still has a large scar on one of her arms.

Miss Cooper, who fought for her life in intensive care and spent a total of four months in hospital, said her relationship with her best friend whom she has known since they were at Yorkshire Martyrs school, Tong, was stronger than ever.

During Thursday’s court hearing Miss Broadbent, 28, of Tyersal Road, Tyersal, accepted she had been driving up to 80mph, had travelled too close to other vehicles and had flashed her headlights.

She was sentenced to 40 weeks’ jail suspended for two years and made the subject of a 12-month supervision order and a four-month curfew from 9pm to 7am. She was also disqualified from driving for three years and will have to take an extended driving test before getting her licence back.

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus last night, Miss Cooper, who had not been in court, said: “I’ve never blamed her for what happened to me. I’ve never said this was her fault. If anything we are closer than ever before and our relationship is even stronger. She has been there through all of this for me.

“She has helped with the children, visited me in hospital, helped me out, done what I’ve needed doing.

“It has been her, my mum and my three children who have kept me going.”

She added: “I’ve never thought about giving up.

“I can move round the house on crutches and don’t know if I will ever be without a wheelchair. When it comes to walking unaided, I never say never. The doctors can’t say I will walk again and they can’t say I won’t walk again but I won’t give up.

“I take every day as it comes and am just glad to be here with my family and friends.”

“Life goes on. No one knows what lies round the corner for them and that’s why every day has to be lived to the full.”