The heroics of a Doncaster mother who pulled an injured driver from his crashed car seconds before it burst into flames have been recognised with a fire service award.
Catherine Neary, aged 43, who lives in Tickhill, ran to the stricken motorist after seeing his Vauxhall Corsa narrowly miss her BMW and plough into an electricity pylon on the A631 near Scotch Spring Lane, between Tickhill and Maltby, on June 9 last year.
With flames shooting from the Corsa’s engine, she dragged the dazed young man from the vehicle before fire quickly engulfed the car.
The casualty, in his 20s, was treated at the scene for minor injuries before going to hospital in Rotherham.
The A631 has a 60mph limit and there have been numerous accidents in recent years.
Catherine and her 13 year-old daughter, Agatha, who also witnessed the rescue drama, visited Maltby fire station – where Catherine was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.
Speaking about the incident, Catherine said: “The car hit the pylon with tremendous force, and I could see flames coming from the bonnet almost straight away.
“The driver was very dazed but thankfully I managed to get him out of the car just in time. “Just after that the fire spread very, very quickly.
“I’m just thankful I acted so quickly as I’m not sure the driver would have been able to get out by himself.
“It’s really nice to be recognised by the fire service with this award.”
SYFR’s area manager Dave Kiddy said: “What Catherine did that day was extremely brave and heroic, and we are in no doubt that her actions saved the man’s life.”
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