The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision told a court he could still remember “the blood-curdling screams” from the incident.
The Hollywood star is in the midst of a legal case in the US and has been accused of injuring retired optometrist Terry Sanderson after skiing out of control at a Utah ski field.
Now in its second week, the trial saw Mr Sanderson, who alleged Ms Paltrow fell on top of him and left him with several broken ribs and a severe concussion, continue his testimony on Monday.
Mr Sanderson said he heard someone who was “out of control” on the slopes as he recounted the moment of the crash.
“It takes my breath away… I just remember everything was great, and then I heard something I’ve never heard before. A blood-curdling scream. And then boom. It was like someone was out of control and went into a tree and was going to die,” he told the court.
“I got hit in my back so hard. It was perfectly centered. A serious smack. I went flying. All I saw was a whole load of snow. I had no control. I remember thinking, ‘you’ve really got to hang on’.”
Mr Sanderson went on to describe how Ms Paltrow’s husband, producer Brad Falchuk, approached him while he was unable to move from the accident and “bullied him into thinking he did something wrong”.
Describing his level of ski experience at the time, he said: “I was advance to intermediate. There is no places I would go except serious bumps… I didn’t do any big jumps.
“Other than that, I would go pretty much anywhere.”
He said the accident had completely changed his physical and mental health. “I’m living another life now. I can’t ski any more. I’ve been told if I have another crash I could be in a nursing home,” he said.
Mr Sanderson added that he did not think it was “cool” that he had collided with a celebrity, after learning that the other person involved in the crash was Ms Paltrow.
“I’m not into celebrity worship, so I didn’t care at that point,” he said.
Asked about an email he had sent to his daughters, with the subject line “I’m famous”, Mr Sanderson said: “I didn’t pick my words well … I was trying to add a little levity to what had happened and it backfired.”
Mr Sanderson is seeking $300,000 (£244,000) in damages. Ms Paltrow is counter suing him for $1 and claims he was at fault.
Additional reporting by PA Media
