Leeds police officer couple cut short engagement party to save a paramedic's life after horror road crash

But, for DC Ashleigh Gath-Clark and DC Kieran Rochell, the drama had just begun.

Not two days after Kieran got down on one knee to propose to the love of his life, the two were travelling home to a special engagement celebration with the rest of their family – when they saved the life of a paramedic involved in a road traffic accident.

Not only that, but just hours later, their car was hit from behind, meaning they had to face their own trip to A&E.

Both DC Gath Clark, 32, and DC Rochell, 29, were awarded for their bravery with West Yorkshire Police District Awards at a ceremony this month.

The two had each been on the force for six years, meeting in 2019, before their whirlwind romance led to Kieran proposing to Ashleigh during a holiday in Kingfisher Lakes near Driffield in April 2021.

“He went down on one knee by a lake at sunset at our log cabin,” said DC Gath-Clark. “It was the full works!”

Following their engagement, the couple were on their way back home on the A1079 to celebrate with family and friends, when they saw flashing blue lights in the distance.

“Being cops, we thought ‘what are those',” said DC Gath-Clark “We realised an ambulance had crashed into a pillar wall.”

After opening the back of the vehicle, they found the unconscious bodies of both a patient and a paramedic.

She added: "There were some other people there who were telling us not to touch them – they were panicking. Kieran told them we were off duty cops and to let us handle what was in front of us.

"Nobody else helped us, which was quite sad.”

As DC Gath-Clark attempted to revive the patient, who had already suffered a heart attack, DC Rochell managed to restart the pulse of the ambulance’s paramedic, which saved the man’s life.

After emergency services and police from the Humberside constabulary turned up at the scene, the two were told they could go home, where members of their family were waiting to celebrate their good news.

But the drama was not over yet.

“Only five minutes from our home address, we were then involved in a car accident,” said DC Gath-Clark. “I was trapped in the car after a BMW had crashed into the back of us in stationary traffic.”

The two attended A&E at Leeds General Infirmary.

"We are always cops,” she said. “We are never really off-duty, but we hadn’t been responding to a job.

"The shoe was on the other foot too, where we were helping paramedics and patients. We are first aid trained, but we are certainly not medical professionals.”

Following the incident and investigation, the couple met up with the paramedic and took him to lunch.

“It was a nice meeting,” said DC Gath-Clark. “He had eight shifts left before he was going to retire.

"We want to give our condolences to the patient we were not able to bring back. I don’t want it to go unnoticed

The certificate received by the two read: “Despite the distressing scene that you were faced with, your conduct under immense pressure was exemplary. You are a credit to West Yorkshire Police.”