Craig Trevor nominated for Police Bravery Awards
A pair of courageous Cambridgeshire cops who risked their lives as they saved a woman from a burning car have been nominated for a national Police Bravery Award.
Detective Constables Lily Deacon and Craig Trevor have been recognised for their actions, after they dragged a woman from her car and to safety, just seconds before the vehicle ‘went up in flames’.
Speaking about the incident, Craig has told how, after realising the woman was trapped in her vehicle, the quick-thinking duo forced the car’s door frame open, with just moments to spare.
“Myself and Lily were driving an unmarked car, when all of a sudden, we saw a vehicle heading toward us, head on, at what must’ve been around 80mph,” said 41-year-old Craig, who’s been in the Force for 15 years.
“We both thought we were going to die, because this car was moving in our lane, so fast towards us. But then, at the last minute, it quickly swerved, missing us by a few feet.”
Craig recalls how the vehicle flipped, before ‘heading into a ditch’.
“We stopped our car as fast as they could, before beginning our search to locate the vehicle,” he continued.
“Lily was on the main road, and I took to the field. Lily soon called me, she said that she could see the flipped car, it was on its side and there was smoke coming out of the vehicle.”
As the pair raced towards the vehicle, Craig simultaneously called the fire service, and for back-up.
“When we got to the car, we realised there was a female trapped inside and there was black smoke coming out of the bonnet,” Craig explained.
“The car was locked, so I got my baton out to smash the window screen. However, the woman inside managed to unlock her door, but was still trapped inside, as a result of how the metal frame had bent.”
In a race against time, Craig and Lily managed to bend the metal frame of the car and help the woman out.
“I think at that moment, the sheer adrenaline gave us the strength we needed to bend the car frame,” said Craig, who revealed how just moments after rescuing the woman, ‘the whole car went up in flames’.
The pair of officers managed to pull the woman to safety, before blocking the road off, so no other vehicles could pass. The fire service and ambulance arrived shortly after.
The driver provided a positive breath test in the ambulance. She was sentenced to a 16-month driving ban, which was reduced to 16 weeks, and fined £120, with £105 court costs.
“Both Lily and I were very surprised to have been nominated,” Craig said, “To be honest, it was just another day at work. We just happened to be in the right place, at the right time.
“Of course, it’s always nice to be recognised in a positive way and I’m really looking forward to the awards ceremony.”