2022 Winner
SONNY PENNINGTON
Sonny risked his life to rescue a driver from a smoking car, following a serious road accident.
Sonny, 26, was driving along the A49 in Shropshire with his girlfriend Sophie, 24, when they witnessed a serious accident – narrowly avoiding being hurt themselves.
Two cars collided on the road in front of them, with one rolling several times and filling with smoke. Quick-thinking Sonny managed to bring his car to a stop then ran over to see if he could help – while Sophie called 999.
Despite thick black smoke pouring from the damaged car, Sonny pulled open the driver’s door and saw the injured driver was lodged head first on the floor in the back.
Worried the car might explode, he risked his own safety to pull the driver clear and drag him away. He propped the man’s head up to keep his airway clear, and even used the parcel shelf from the car to shield him from the rain.
After calling the emergency services, Sophie ran to the second car. She found a terrified family including five children and helped look after them.
The crash last May, closed the A49 for more than five hours and left several people injured. The victim, who was initially put into a medically-induced coma, survived with no long-term injuries.
Sonny, from Church Stretton, says: “I just acted on instinct, I couldn’t just not sit there and do nothing. There was an aspect of fear, but I just acted on adrenaline in the moment because I wanted to make them safe.
“When I grabbed the driver’s door handle, I knew at that moment that whatever I would see, I would never unsee.
“What amazed myself and Sophie was how many cars drove past and didn’t stop to help.”