Praise for quick-thinking conemen after Cumbria crash

Callum Sharp and Reg Britton of BDSS Traffic Management directed queuing traffic at the scene of the smash at Newby Bridge in Cumbria, drawing plaudits from motorist Shelley Mayger.

The nurse had stopped to help those involved in the accident, which included a man trapped in his car.

Callum and Reg were en route to a road-painting operation where they were due to manage traffic flow when they made their own expected stop.

In an email to the Kilnhurst firm, Mrs Mayger said that within a couple of minutes of her stopping, “one of your vans pulled up and out jumped two guys who immediately began to deal with the traffic calmly and effectively, ensuring my safety and that of all the other road users, some of who were rather impatient to get past.”

She added: “We were there well over an hour as emergency service arrived to take over, and when I had finished giving my statement to the police, I went back to my car which I had left with hazard lights on only to find my battery was flat. Once again, in stepped these two heroes to help me jump start my car.”

Ms Mayger said she hadn’t caught the pair’s names but hailed them as a credit to their company and wanted to pass on her thanks, “not only for keeping me and my daughter safe in the midst of the chaos but also for helping us on our way afterwards”.

Craig Newton, operations manager of BDSS, said everyone at the firm was proud of the pair for stopping and helping, adding: “It’s lovely to know we have people working for us who would stop and do that.

“They didn’t even call to notify us of the incident so they didn’t see it as anything out of the ordinary but I wish everyone had that mindset and was willing to stop and help.”

The modest pair, whose Good Samaritan operation took place last month, were back on the roads this week — Callum in the Stockport area and Reg in Gloucester.