Salesman to the rescue at scene of accident

Within seconds, as other drivers looked on in surprise, Mr McCaa had the specialist machinery bursting open the jammed door of Mrs Elaine Benn’s mangled Citroen from which she was rushed with neck injuries by ambulance to hospital in York, North Yorkshire. Ironically as a result a fire engine called out from from the North Yorkshire service, to whom Mr McCaa was making the delivery, was not needed and turned round and returned to its station in the city. The accident happened near the junction of the A1 and the A64 road from York to Leeds at Bramham when the Citroen, a Vauxhall Cavalier and a Transit van collided.

Mr McCaa, 32, married with a young son, who works for Clan Tools of Strathclyde and lives in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, said he first became aware of the crash when he found himself stuck in a traffic jam. He added: ”I discovered a woman was trapped inside her wrecked car and that the doors would not open. Luckily I had a full set of hydraulic cutting and spreading gear in the back of my people carrier.

I was about to deliver it to the North Yorkshire Fire Brigade.” Mr McCaa said: ”My first instinct was to get the woman out, so I had no hesitation in using the equipment. I have given hundreds of demonstrations over the 12 years I have been a salesman, but never before have I had to use it in a live incident.”

Mr Terry Glover, spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire Brigade, said: ”We have got to applaud Mr McCaa.

He made the difference by acting very quickly which enabled the woman’s injuries to be treated that much sooner.”

Mrs Benn, of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, was released from hospital after treatment.