Hero police officer held on to van to stop it falling off A1 bridge
A Police officer who held onto a van to try and stop it plunging from a motorway embankment has said he was ’just doing his job’
Policing Officer Praised After Grabbing On To Van To Stop It Plunging From Bridge
A Police officer who held onto a van to try and stop it plunging from a motorway embankment has said he was ’just doing his job’
PC Martin Willis, a Roads Policing Officer at West Yorkshire Police, has been hailed for his courage after he physically held on to a van at risk of crashing off an icy motorway bridge on the A1 onto the A64 below during Friday morning.
Martin, who has ten years’ experience, as a roads policing officer, was on patrol on Friday (December 1) when West Yorkshire Police received a call at around 5.47am to a report of road traffic collision on the A1
He attended and was first on scene near junction 44 to find there had been several separate collisions with one involving an Iveco van which had crashed through the barrier and was left hanging over the bridge.
He said: “I just saw this van on top of the bridge through the railings and contacted control to say, ‘I’ve got to stop here, this looks very serious.'
“I walked on the hard shoulder to the incident and I as I did so a lorry driver, who was not involved in the incident, shouted across to say there was a chap upside down in the van.
“Every time a lorry went by I could see the van sway and I just thought, ‘It’s right over the A64, if this van goes over it will kill the driver.' Of course you’re also thinking ‘any minute now, something is going to come on the hard shoulder and hit me!' ”
After signalling colleagues to close the road, Martin grabbed hold of the van’s rear axle to steady it and did his best to reassure the trapped man inside, who has suffered serious leg injuries.
“I told the victim not to panic and said ‘we’re going to get you out of there, whatever you do, don’t move.' I then grabbed hold of the rear wheel and pulled inwards which helped to keep the van balanced. I was there for a good 15 minutes I think.”
The victim was rescued by officers from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service who used a winch to stabilise the van and pull it to safety in an operation taking over two hours.
The driver inside, a 22-year-old Bolton man, was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he continues to be treated for serious leg injuries.
Martin added: “It was quiet a scary situation but this is the reality of the job we do. Sometimes you do have to take risks and if you need to help someone, you need to help them