Lorry driver who saved woman from burning car wins Pride of Britain …
A Derbyshire lorry driver who pulled a woman from a burning car seconds before it exploded has won a Pride of Britain Award. John Rastrick, from Chesterfield[1], was driving along the M1 when he saw a car up ahead on fire following a collision with another vehicle.
Quickly leaping from the cab of his lorry, John was met with thick smoke and flames that were rapidly engulfing the car[2]. Driver Pari Mistry, who had suffered a serious head injury in the crash, was immobile in the driver’s seat.
John, who was 65 at the time of the crash in January 2019, said: “I hoped to God that whoever was in the car had got out, but when I saw Pari in there, I put all my fears aside and tried to pull her out.” Defying the intense heat, flames and smoke, John dragged Pari from the car and then carried her to safety with the help of other motorists.
Poll: Should the UK deal with extreme weather better?[3]
Just 29 seconds later, the car exploded. Pari spent four days in a critical care unit with a skull fracture.
After an eight-hour operation on her head, she then had to learn to walk and talk again. Pari, from Leicester, said: “I don’t remember much from the incident, but I know I immediately thought I was going to die.
“For my family, this incident was especially hard as we are all really close. With their support and help, I was able to persevere with my recovery and say thank you to John in my own words.”
Pride of Britain
Pride of Britain celebrates the achievements of this country’s unsung heroes who make our world a better place. This year the ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 8.
The Pride of Britain Awards will be televised on ITV on October 12 at 8pm. To get all the latest news there is a Pride of Britain podcast, PoBcast live on the Mirror and Pride of Britain YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages at 5pm every Wednesday and catch up on earlier episodes on YouTube and through the Pride of Britain Podcast on Spotify.
For more information about Pride of Britain and how to nominate someone remarkable for next year’s awards, please visit the Pride of Britain website.
John has won an Outstanding Bravery award and will be honoured at a star-studded awards dinner at Grosvenor House in London on October 8, hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo
The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain awards will be on ITV at 8pm on Thursday with viewers will be amazed at the bravery and resilience of the 2023 winners. Winners were chosen by the Pride of Britain judging panel from a shortlist drawn up after tens of thousands of public nominations were received.
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References
- ^ from Chesterfield (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ thick smoke and flames that were rapidly engulfing the car (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Should the UK deal with extreme weather better? (xd.wayin.com)
- ^ the main Derbyshire Live newsletter here (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)