McLaren’s salesman has received a bravery award for his heroic act which saved the life of a stockbroker who crashed a £245,000 McLaren 650S supercar on a test drive with him beside.
The accident took place four miles from the McLaren dealership on A50 near High Legh, Cheshire, last August when the Warrington stockbroker lost control of the 650S and drove into the bushes, colliding against a tree. The impact caused the back of the car to turn into flames.
Mr. Christian said, ”After we hit the tree, my first thought was that I was okay, but when I looked across the driver looked in a very bad way”. ”I tried to get make my escape through the passenger door, but that was jammed, so I had to clamber over the stricken driver”.
Photo: Cascade
After getting out of the burning vehicle and making two failed attempts of removing the vehicle’s driver, he succeeded in the third attempt and managed to pull the badly injured driver out of the car and carried him away from the burning vehicle.
He explained, “The fire was so intense that it was difficult to get to him and on the third attempt I knew it was going to be now or never. I managed to grab him by his trouser belt and by an arm and with my feet against the vehicle managed to pull him out”.
Firefighters and an air ambulance was called instantly taking both of them to the nearby hospital.
Christian received some facial injuries and a cut on the back of his head, but he recovered quickly and was back to his job within four weeks.
The driver was severely injured from the crash, fracturing his shoulder, elbow and ankle and was going through a skin g raft. He is still recovering from his injuries.
Christian received letters from the driver’s wife telling him that her husband would not have been alive today if he didn’t help him.
Chief Constable Byrne said, it was a ‘selfless’ act that the salesman put his life at risk to save the driver and honored him with a bravery award.