THE survivor of a horrific road crash in which his friend was tragically killed has bravely spoken out about the experience.

Student Praveen Jayaprakash, 25, of Church Road, Hendon, was walking home from work with Libor Kuchar at about 2am on Sunday, June 6, when the smash happened.

The pair, who had finished a shift at the McDonalds branch, in Highgate Hill, were in Hendon Lane when a VW Golf mounted the pavement and crashed into a bus stop, lamppost and a wall before bursting into flames.

Mr Jayaprakash was thrown forward into the road as Libor was crushed in the impact.

The business information systems student at Middlesex University said they had often walked at that time together, and the whole incident had left him shocked.

“We were just talking about the World Cup and then something hit both of us from behind,” he said.

“The next thing I remember is that I was on the ground. There was a large lamppost that got knocked down and there was a total black-out.

“I just got up and turned back. The whole bus stop was smashed and broken and the car was still moving across the road.

“It was only then I realised I had been hit by a car because I didn't realise what happened at first.”

He said he looked around for Libor and flagged down passing cars for help.

“I couldn't find him because there was no light,” said Mr Jayaprakash.

“I tried calling to him, but I wasn't shouting because I was shaking. I asked other people to call police and ambulances, and after that I just sat down.”

He was assessed by paramedics but only sustained a cut to his elbow and admits he did not feel any pain in all the confusion.

He said there was debris scattered across the road and cars were stopped by police. He was taken to hospital and then to a police station to issue a statement, and admits it was hard to understand what had happened.

He said: “I couldn't cry at the time. The managers and everybody was coming to check on me and I just broke down into tears.

“It was really tough and I couldn't sleep.”

Friends met for a drink in memory of Libor at the Archway Tavern, in Archway Road, on Friday, and Mr Jayaprakash said: “We worked together an used to go for a drink and he was a good man.

“When I first came over here, he was my first shift manager, so everything I learnt, came from Libor. Everybody will miss him.

“I feel lucky and unlucky. Unlucky because I was with him when it happened, but lucky because I get a second life.”