Derek Smith, 35, made his plea as first aiders tried desperately to stem the bleeding from his almost severed arm.

"He wanted me to give a message to his wife," said James Spencer, 21, who had stopped to help.

Mr Smith later died in hospital.

Knutsford Youth Club manager John Bracewell had also stopped to try to help.

"We were keeping him talking to keep him alive," said Mr Bracewell.

"Then we saw how bad his arm was and tried to apply a pressure point to stop what bleeding we could." Mr Smith's lorry had overturned on Bowdon roundabout and hit a street lamp, throwing him into the passenger seat.

A traffic light had then crashed through the window, almost shearing Mr Smith's arm off at the elbow.

Once specially-equipped firemen had cut away part of the cab to assess his injuries, emergency crews got him out as quickly as possible.

"He slipped out and came back in," said Mr Spencer, from Hyde. "Just as we pulled him out his pulse went totally."

Mr Smith, from Stevenage, was revived again but died later in hospital.

Mr Spencer, who was only at last Thursday's crash because he took a wrong turn, has since left flowers at the scene and has given the message to the coroner to pass on to Mr Smith's family.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned.

Paramedics and specially-equipped firemen He lost consciousness as paramedics treated him in the cab.

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