Drink drive horror crash cost me my family and my business; Morning after a night clubbing, his friend was still three times the limit: EXCLUSIVE.

Byline: ADAM ASPINALL

THE blame game is an easy one to play - but it's not a game crash survivor Chris Powell has any time for.

The brave 31-year-old is still coming to terms with the massive injuries he suffered in a car crash after getting a lift with a drunken friend nearly five years ago.

The construction firm boss was in a coma and hooked up to a life support machine for two weeks.

When he came round he discovered that his pal had died - and had been three times the drink drive limit when he got behind the wheel the morning AFTER a night out.

Chris had travelled to a barbecue the evening before the crash and had left his own car there after enjoying a few beers.

The following morning he called his friend to ask for a lift to pick up a work's van. But he was unaware the pal had only had a few hours sleep after a night clubbing and was still well over the limit.

As they travelled along the A442 Bridgnorth Road in Shropshire, their car veered off the road at a bend, hit a telegraph pole and overturned, killing the driver and leaving Chris with serious head and spinal injuries.

The dad-of-three has only now decided to tell his story as a warning to others about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Even though the August 2004 road accident has had a devastating impact on his family life, he still refuses to blame his friend who he has asked us not to name.

Chris, from Bridgnorth, said: "After the crash I found out my friend had been out the night before, and had only had a few hours sleep.

"He was a good friend so I don't blame him at all for what happened. It was an accident - and accidents happen.

"Even though I can't remember anything about the crash, or anything for eight months afterwards, I knew that he must have felt he was OK to drive.

"He would not have lied to me and knowingly put my life in danger. He couldn't have appeared drunk either because otherwise I would not have got in the car with him.

"It was just a horribly tragic accident, nothing more, nothing less."

More than five years on, the aftermath of the crash continues to impact on Chris' life.

As a result of the head injury he sustained, he has been unable to return to work in the construction business he co-owned.

Depression His short-term memory is severely impaired and he finds it difficult to concentrate.

Injuries to his ribs, spine and nervous system have left him with a weakness in his lower limbs and back. He also suffers bouts of depression.

And the strain of the crash and his long recuperation eventually took a toll on his family life, culminating with him splitting from his partner, Julia, the mother of his three children, Olivia, seven, Luke, four and three year-old Henry.

"I've lost my family because they just could not cope with the man I became after the accident," he said.

"I've needed weekly counselling for the last four years, months of re-hab and I get angry very quickly.

"It has changed my personality and I have long bouts of depression.

"It was very difficult for Julia to cope with what happened to me and I understand that.

''She found out she was pregnant with Luke while I was hooked up to a life support machine, so it has been incredibly difficult for her.

"At the moment I'm living on benefits and hoping that one day I can recover enough to go back to work. But it seems a long way off, it's so frustrating.

"I wish most of all that people who read this realise the dangers of driving the day after you have been out clubbing.

It doesn't matter how sober you think you are, you're most probably over the limit.

"It's just not worth the risk.

"If anyone is considering driving the day after they have been drinking, they should think about what happened to me and my friend. I have lost so much in my life but at least I still have a life, unlike him."

Chris is now a firm supporter of road safety charity BRAKE, which is running its annual Drink Driving Awareness Week from tomorrow.

The group is also launching a campaign in the run-up to Christmas about the dangers of driving 'the morning after'.

"This was a terrible tragedy for everyone concerned and my friend sadly paid the ultimate price by losing his life," said Chris. "I don't think for a second that he realised he was putting himself or me in danger.

"I just hope other motorists will take note and realise that driving under the influence, whether it be the same night or the morning after, is just too high a risk to take.'' Annette Ginns, from Irwin Mitchell solicitors, works with serious injury claims involving road accident victims and is dealing with Chris's case.

"Sadly, we continue to see too many people whose lives have been devastated as a consequence of individuals who got behind the wheel whilst under the influence of either drink or drugs," she said.

"The latest statistics show that in 2007 almost 16,000 people in the UK were killed or hurt as a result of drink or drug driving. That's 44 every day.

"In the run-up to Christmas, many people may think they're playing safe and doing the sensible thing by getting a taxi home from a Christmas party, only to get behind the wheel the morning after, not realising that they may still be over the legal limit."

She added: "Despite a combined effort by many organisations to raise awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence, the number of victims my team and I represent is sadly not declining.

"Many are fighting to re-build their lives, whilst others are left to grieve for the loss of a loved one after being involved in catastrophic but, in many cases, highly avoidable collisions."

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SURVIVOR: Chris Powell is battling to get his life back after the horrific accident.