Fireball crash hero: 'I was just in the right place at the right time'

Those were the words an off-duty highways officer heard as he helped drag a critically injured motorcyclist away from the burning wreckage of his machine following a horrific crash.

Peter Senior had been enjoying a cup of coffee after parking up his own motorcycle at Starbucks on the A167 at Thinford, near Spennymoor, County Durham, when a car and bike collided yards from him last Wednesday afternoon (August 12).

Rescuers pull the motorcyclist from the wreckage. Picture: Natalie Whitfield

The force of the impact caused first the motorbike and then the car to burst into flames.

The 52-year-old rider of the Suzuki GSF, from Pittington, was thrown into the air and the female motorist, a 40-year-old from Thornley, was left trapped as the bike embedded itself in the driver’s side of her Renault Megane.

INFERNO: Fire engulfs the car and bike. Photo: Natalie Whitfield

Mr Senior, 49, from Burnopfield, County Durham, reacted instantly to help both those involved.

His actions have since been hailed as brave by witnesses, who believe he saved the motorist’s life, and he spoke to The Northern Echo following an appeal to identify the previously unknown hero.

The Highways England officer said: “I saw the biker was lying at the other side of the car, having obviously been thrown over the top.

“He wasn’t moving so it was quite obvious he had sustained injuries.

“However, the priority for me was the driver of the car because no one was getting out as the driver’s side was fairly well ablaze.

“I ran to the passenger side, whipped the door open and found there was a lady sitting in the car, frozen. She was in shock.

“I screamed at her to get out of the car immediately to the side I was at.

“She loosened her seatbelt and did make an attempt to climb over, but, realising the urgency in the situation, I grabbed her by the arm and, if you like, assisted her quickly out the passenger side of the vehicle.”

She sustained minor injuries and declined hospital treatment.

Mr Senior then turned his attention to the motorcyclist, who last night remained in a critical but stable condition at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

“It all happened so quick, I believe another two people assisted me with the biker,” he said.

“I realised we were going to have to move him because he was really close to the car.

“I couldn’t drag him by his legs because it was obvious one was quite badly broken. I couldn’t drag him by his arms because I could see one of them was badly broken.

“I distinctly remember at least a couple of bystanders shouting ‘you are going to have to move, you are going to have to leave him or you will all die’. But I wasn’t going to leave the guy.”

BLAZE: The car and motorbike set alight following the collision. Picture: @DurhamRPU

A paramedic arrived on the scene by car seconds later.

“He brought over a sort of canvas stretcher. Supporting his head, we managed to turn his body, get his weight onto it and just drag him out the way,” Mr Senior said.

“The paramedic, myself and I think one other member of the public managed to drag him clear. It all took a matter of minutes.”

Mr Senior said he acted instinctively, but felt his training as a professional on the roads helped.

“In my job I have been in quite a few emergency situations so I would like to think I could act relatively calmly in a situation like that.

“But I’ll have to admit, I was quite shaken after the incident. It was quite a scary experience.”

Despite all the praise from members of the public since the incident, Mr Senior played down the enormity of his actions.

He said: “I couldn’t stand back and do nothing.

“I don’t know that I would go so far as to say I was a hero. I would like to feel I was in the right place at the right time.

“I am sure a lot of people would have done the same in my position.”

Mr Senior said he planned to enquire about the welfare of the biker, who was flown to hospital.

The motorcyclist suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries, which are understood to include a broken wrist, leg, pelvis and vertebrae.

Friends have said he was in a medically induced coma and had undergone surgery but are hopeful he is ‘heading in the right way’.

Police appealed to anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the vehicles immediately before it occurred, just before 3.15pm, to contact investigators on 0191-3752159.