Sunderland NHS worker aids trapped passenger in A19 drama

NHS worker Terrence Haley, 30, described the drama which unfolded on the A19, late on Saturday night.

The Pennywell man was on his way home from the MetroCentre when he noticed a car on its roof on the stretch between the A1231 and the A183.

He drove back round and sprung into action. First, he put a warning triangle in the road to warn other passing cars.

Then, he got a torch out of his boot and headed for the vehicle. He said one person was trapped inside, the driver was standing nearby with what looked like a foot injury and a third women appeared to be alright.

"I heard a girl screaming," said reluctant hero Terrence. "She was on all fours and her leg was trapped.

"I was trying to calm her down and telling her to focus on my eyes."

Help started to arrive. First, a nurse came through the trees from the South Hylton area and then sirens could be heard, said Terrence.

Then, a police traffic officer was on the scene but Terrence still stayed to give as much help as he could.

And even when there was a threat of a petrol leak, he wouldn't leave.

The car, he said, "could have set on fire at any moment.

"The police officer was concerned for my safety and asked me to leave but he didn't have any light so I refused and stayed with him so that he could see what he was doing."

Terrence, who works for the NHS in the Sunderland area as a peer support worker, still stayed on until the rest of the emergency services arrived and took occupants of the car to hospital.

He said he never got to sleep until 5am on Sunday.

"It was the adrenaline. It just kept sticking in my mind that it could have been a lot worse. Someone has been watching over that girl."

But Terrence refused to brand himself as a hero. He said: "I don't class myself as that. People have said on social media that not all heroes wear capes and it is nice of them to say that.

"But I would do it for anyone. I just did what I thought was best.

"I've been asked why I stopped at the accident. I said that I couldn't just drive by and leave them. The way the car was, I was expecting a fatality."

Ambulance crews and fire engines were called to the incident on the southbound side of the dual carriageway. The North East Ambulance Service confirmed they took one person to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and another to hospital in Sunderland.

Four fire engines and two ambulances were called. No details have yet been given on the extent of the injuries of the casualties.