05 Aug James Doyle – Clydebank Post / BREAKING NEWS
James Doyle from Glasgow tells how he saved a driver from a motorway car fire.
A Glasgow hero has described how he rescued a man who’s car …….
A CLYDEBANK man has described how he rescued a man whose car burst into flames on a busy motorway.
James Doyle was on his way to work on the M80 near Glasgow when he spotted a small fire coming from underneath a Ford EcoBoost parked in the hard shoulder nearby.
James, from Faifley, described how he tried to save the young driver’s belongings from the glove box and plumbing tools from the back seat before flames engulfed the vehicle.
The 57-year-old said: “As I came off the M80 I moved into the middle lane.
“I drove by this car, and I thought ‘there is a guy sitting in this vehicle and he doesn’t realise it is on fire’.”
James sped up and moved his vehicle to park in front of the driver on the hard shoulder.
“I ran up to him and started shouting to get out of the car,” James continued.
“He was in total disbelief.
“He didn’t say anything to me as he was in shock. I think he couldn’t believe what was happening.
“I pushed it three car lengths forward to try to get it away from the melted stuff on the ground, but unfortunately in that time the flame had already ignited.
“I was in auto-pilot and adrenaline was pumping through me to help save this guy and his belongings, because it is an awful situation to be in.”
James described how he heard a ‘pop’ suggesting that the car’s battery may have exploded.
He added: “I phoned 999 immediately as I knew it would be out of my control at this point.
“The fire engine only took ten minutes, but the car was completely engulfed by the time they arrived.
“I thought there was no point in staying around as I knew they would stop the flames in minutes.
“I can admit now that I hung around the car a bit too long and put myself in danger, but for me it was just basic instinct.
“I can’t imagine what trauma the poor lad had to experience as it could happen to anyone.
After posting the video in a local Facebook group, Call Yersel a Bankie, James, who now lives in Cumbernauld, described how he later received a message from the young man he saved.
The message read: “I never had the chance to thank you. I was just in shock and couldn’t believe what was happening. It is much appreciated for your help. I can’t thank you enough.”
In 2018 Ford agreed to refund drivers of cars whose EcoBoost engines failed after overheating. Hundreds of drivers received compensation.
