A HEROIC mother has told how she helped save a young man from the wreck of his burning car after a horrific road accident.Lynn Williamson leapt into action when she came across the accident as she drove on the B1018 Braintree Road in Cressing on Saturday.

By Annie Davidson

A HEROIC mother has told how she helped save a young man from the wreck of his burning car after a horrific road accident.

Lynn Williamson leapt into action when she came across the accident as she drove on the B1018 Braintree Road in Cressing on Saturday.

She was one of several motorists who arrived at the crash scene to find the driver of a red Ford Focus trapped by his legs with flames coming out from under the bonnet and up the windscreen.

The 24-year-old was screaming for help and shouting for people to release him from the wreckage.

Mrs Williamson, panel beater Darren Mountney and a second man rushed to the car and between them managed to pull the man free.

Mrs Williamson, of Onslow Crescent, Colchester, said: “At first we couldn't get him out, he was jammed in.

“I felt terrible, flames were coming out of the bonnet but his legs were trapping him.

“He was screaming, 'get me out, get me out.'

“It is a bit of a blur but I think two of us got him under the arms and one got his legs and we pulled.”

The rescuers then managed to move the man away from the car in case it exploded.

Mrs Williamson, who works as a first aid trainer and examiner, then began treating the driver, who is from Braintree, for serious leg injuries.

Mr Mountney, of Hamilton Road, Little Canfield, also stayed with the man and reassured him until emergency services arrived.

He was flown by Essex Air Ambulance to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford where he is still being treated for injuries, which were serious but not life threatening.

Mrs Williamson, 53, said she felt sick remembering the man's screams for help as he was trapped.

“I felt tearful afterwards,” she said. “It wasn't so much the goriness of the injuries, it was more how he was trapped in the car and I kept thinking what if we hadn't been able to get him out?

“I would have had to watch him die.”

The mother-of-two has been a first-aider for around 20 years and previously saved the life of a toddler in Witham who was choking on a satsuma.

She said she was very relieved to learn that the motorist was doing well and had not suffered any spinal injuries in the crash.

Mr Mountney said: “At the end of the day I only did what anyone else would do. I couldn't just stand back and leave it alone.”

The driver of the second car, a 46-year-old man from Braintree, was trapped for more than an hour with broken limbs and facial cuts and had to be cut free from the wreckage by fire crews.

He is also still being treated at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

On Monday, Essex Ambulance Service paramedic Richard Crow told the EADT: “While we would not normally recommend people drag patients from crashed vehicles this was one of those occasions when it was the right thing to do.

“We would like to pay tribute to all the people who helped us at the scene - their help was invaluable.

“There is no doubt that both these men are lucky to be alive.”

Pc Mike Bignell, of Bocking Traffic Police, appealed for witnesses to the accident, which happened at 12.20pm on Saturday, to contact him on 01376 330722.