Detectives who rescued woman from burning car after crashing into Fenland ditch nominated for top award

Two detectives who rescued a woman from a burning car on a Fenland road near Peterborough have been nominated for a top bravery award.

DCs Craig Trevor and Lily Deacon have been nominated for the Police Federation’s Police Bravery Awards, following the dramatic incident last year.

In the nomination, the Police Federation said the pair were travelling on the A605 at Coates when they witnessed the driver of a car, approaching from the opposite direction at 70-80mph, lose control of the vehicle and fall into a 15-feet roadside ditch.

The car had flipped and caught fire. It was now resting precariously on the edge of the ditch which opened into a 100-meter fall on the side of the road.

With no thought for their own safety, the pair dashed to the scene, and found the female driver was upside down and trapped in the car due to thick, billowing black smoke.

The officers successfully pulled the female driver from the burning car, after helping her unlock the car’s door.

Pulling her to safety by the side of the road, the officers went on to ensure that there were no other injured occupants trapped in the engulfed car.

Liz Groom, Cambridgeshire Police Federation chair, said: “I am incredibly proud of Lily and Craig who showed great bravery in their actions. They would not have expected to have needed to put themselves in harm’s way when simply travelling to deal with a detainee in an unmarked police car, but they did so without hesitation.

"It’s clear that had they not then this female could have sustained serious injuries or worse. They are a real credit to the force and policing.”

Cambridgeshire Chief Constable, Nick Dean, added: “DCs Trevor and Deacon conducted themselves with utmost bravery and professionalism. They acted with great determination and skill to remove the woman from the vehicle, undoubtedly saving her life, and all while putting themselves in harm’s way.”

The female driver, who was found to be over the drink drive limit, was later sentenced to a 16-month driving ban, a £120 fine and £105 court costs.