A FIREMAN helped free a man trapped in a car collision - just minutes after an inquest heard of his life-saving heroics on a night of tragedy.

Crew Manager Alexander Race was taking his lunch break after giving evidence at the inquest of 89-year-old Dorothy Robinson, who died after a nursing home blaze in Redcar in 2004.

At the same time, about 1.30pm yesterday, a taxi and another car collided head-on just metres from Teesside Coroners Court, in the centre of Middlesbrough. Although the passengers in one car were uninjured, the taxi driver sustained injuries to his head and neck.

Mr Race dashed to the scene and took command of the situation, supporting the head of the taxi driver whilst directing onlookers. With lunchtime over by the time the emergency services had arrived, Mr Race had to content himself with a packet of crisps.

Phil Lancaster, head of fire engineering at Cleveland Fire Brigade praised his colleague. This demonstrates Mr Races commitment to helping the public, he said.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said the taxi driver involved in the collision suffered only minor injuries as a result of the crash.

Earlier, the inquest heard that Mr Race had been the first fireman on the scene of the blaze at St David's Nursing Home on August 20, 2004. Faced with a fire that had started up to 40 minutes before the 999 call had come through, and wearing no breathing apparatus, Mr Race led the evacuation of 41 residents of the home.

But he collapsed half-way through the evacuation, through inhaling too much fresh air after being in the thick smoke of the corridors.

Half an hour later Mr Race had regained consciousness and was back on his feet.

With nursing home staff alerting him to the fact that two residents were still in the home, Mr Race lead a group back into the building, where they managed to save resident Brian Jones from the blaze.

Sadly, the other trapped resident, Dorothy Robinson, had suffered 70 per cent burns and died the next day.

Mr Race said: "However sad Mrs Robinson's death is, and there was not a fireman present that night who doesnt regret it deeply, but we still evacuated 41 people and on that night, under those circumstances, what the Cleveland Fire Brigade did was miraculous."

The inquest continues.