Heroes save
man from
burning car

A burgundy Renault Scenic left the road and caught fire after striking a pole.

Lisburn District Commander Stephen McDowell praised off duty fire man Gary Taggart who came upon the scene.

And there has also been praise from locals for passerby William Ferguson. He told how he too came upon the crash after hearing a bang and seeing a flash in his rear view window, as he was driving along the Moira Road.

He turned his car around and he along with a few others stopped to help get the man out of the vehicle.

While someone sat with the driver, William asked others to direct traffic while he ran into the nearby Lidl store and took a fire extinguisher.

“I was told afterward that there were around 500 volts coming from the live cables at the crash,” he said.

“I did not realise the dangers. The fire could have spread at any stage but I did not like to hang around and not help.

The driver was complaining about his right hand shoulder. He was very lucky.”

When emergency services arrived William was told that the engine could have exploded at any time.

“I was told that I was silly for attempting to help as the car could have exploded at any time and there were live cables,” he said.

“This is the first time something like this has happened. We could all have stood back and did nothing but I could not have forgiven myself. People may have thought I was silly but I never thought of the dangers.

“I know now that it could have had another not so happy ending for the both of us. We could have ended up seriously injured but you just don’t think you just act on instinct. It is one of those things you just get on with it.

“Unforunately, while helping out my phone a Sony Xperia fell from my pocket and the screen broke. It was in my pocket and during the drama it broke.”

However, despite the warnings William says that there is no doubt he would do the same again.

“I would do it again in a heart beat,” said William. “If I thought someone was in trouble I would help them. It is not in my nature to sit back and ignore what was happening around me. I would like to think that someone else would help me in the same situation. Call it stupidiy or bravery I don’t know.”He said that he made sure that hanging cables were not touching the car which was still running then switched the engine off and and got water from a nearby car wash to extinguish the fire.

“I would like to commend Fire Fighter Taggart for his quick actions which undoubtedly prevented the incident from becoming much more serious,” Mr McDowell said