'Heroic' lorry driver rescues family after crash

A lorry driver has spoken of his "massive relief" after he helped to rescue a family whose car was involved in a crash.

Ken Wheatley, from Crewe, Cheshire, was travelling southbound on the M1 near Bedford in the early hours of 29 March, when he saw a car speed past and crash into another.

The second vehicle was put into a spin before ending up on its side and Wheatley was among the drivers who used their wagons to block traffic before helping the occupants.

The 60-year-old spent about 40 minutes helping a man, a woman and their young daughter out of the car, before emergency services arrived.

Wheatley, a grandfather-of-four, told BBC Radio Stoke he was worried about what he would find when first approaching the vehicle on the motorway.

"I didn't know if they were going to be OK," he said. "That was the scary point because there's nothing worse than if you get there and someone had been really injured or worse."

The rescuers first smashed the window on the driver's side and managed to get the man out of the car after hearing his shouts for help.

Wheatley then climbed onto the overturned car and, with the aid of another HGV driver, helped to extricate the woman and the young girl, who they had heard crying in the back seat.

None of them suffered any serious injuries, Wheatley said, and they waited in the cab of his lorry until paramedics arrived.

He said: "It was just a massive relief… It was really nice when we saw them all hugging each other and we knew everything was OK."

"I just felt at the time that it was something we should do," he added. "If it was my grandkids in the car, I hope people would have the same attitude."

Wheatley, who has been working for AO since 2022, was recently named AO employee of the month in recognition of his actions.

Lynne Wood, director of service delivery at AO, said: "We always speak about being magic in the moments that matter and Kenny's heroic actions are a perfect example of this.

"Along with the other HGV drivers at the scene, Kenny's quick-thinking in blocking the motorway until emergency help could arrive has potentially saved this family's lives."

The BBC have contacted Northamptonshire Police for comment on the crash.

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