Coach traveller, 48, reveals how he ‘pulled driver from flaming Zipcar after crash’

Steven Dudley, 48, revealed how he desperately pulled a driver out of her burning car after the two vehicles crashed

A coach passenger has revealed how he desperately pulled a driver out of her burning car after the two vehicles crashed.

Events worker Steven Dudley, 48, was travelling on the National Express coach with his partner Dorothy Assiga, 49, and her son Florian, 13, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The family had flown in to Gatwick airport after a three-day trip to Bordeaux, France, before boarding the coach to London’s Victoria Station.

Mr Dudley said he heard a loud bang after the two vehicles slammed into each other on Queenstown Road, Battersea in south-west London. 

The collision caused a huge fireball and Mr Dudley immediately helped usher his fellow coach passengers to safety before going over to the flaming Zipcar to try to save the occupants.

He took the driver out of the vehicle but was tragically unable to save the passenger. 

The 26-year-old female, who was travelling in the rear seat of the grey VW Polo, died less than 40 minutes after the crash at 4.30am. 

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Mr Dudley recalled how he had to ‘rip the seatbelt off’ Florian after the device became locked as the family desperately scrambled to get off the coach after the crash.

He said: ‘I haven’t slept yet, it is still a bit of a shock.

‘I was sat at the back row of the coach. I could see right to the windscreen.

Mr Dudley said he heard a loud bang after the two vehicles slammed into each other on Queenstown Road, Battersea in south-west London. Pictured: A photo taken by Mr Dudley after his daring rescue attempt

The collision caused a huge fireball. Pictured: A photo taken by Mr Dudley after his daring rescue attempt

Mr Dudley said he heard a loud bang after the two vehicles slammed into each other on Queenstown Road, Battersea in south-west London. Pictured: Photographs taken by Mr Dudley after his daring rescue attempt

‘I heard the driver scream. I looked to see what the scream was about and it was like an instant, one, two… bang.

‘It was just basically a massive bang. It was about ten seconds [and] everybody was trying to get off.

‘Everybody was trying to get to the front of the coach to get the door open but it was jammed.

‘The driver was at the front but he was shocked. Everybody could smell rubber burning.

‘I opened the fire exit door. It was my first instinct, I knew there was one there.

Mr Dudley was travelling on the National Express coach with his partner Dorothy Assiga, 49, (left) and her son Florian, 13, (right) in the early hours of Monday morning

Mr Dudley was travelling on the National Express coach with his partner Dorothy Assiga, 49, (left) and her son Florian, 13, (right) in the early hours of Monday morning

‘I shouted to everyone to “come out here, there’s a door”.

‘I was just chucking everyone out.

‘As soon as I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw the driver at the top. He was just standing there in a daze. So I got him off.

‘Nobody had been to the car yet to see who was in the car.

‘I went up to the car, the flames had gone down a little bit.

‘I opened the car door and (the driver) basically fell out. She was on the passenger side.’

Mr Dudley said he put the driver into the recovery position before trying to save the passenger. 

He added: ‘I knelt right down to (the driver’s) face. She kept saying “I can’t breath”. She kept shouting, “my baby”.

‘I went to the back door and I saw a body there.

‘It looked like the body had been battered a bit. I think it was a woman. Her leg and arm were in a different position than normal.

‘I was looking for a baby, but I couldn’t see anything.

‘I tried to force the door open to get the woman out but I couldn’t get the door open.

‘Two or three passers-by tried to help me.

The family had flown in to Gatwick airport after a three-day trip to Bordeaux, France, before boarding the coach to London's Victoria Station. Pictured: Mr Dudley (left), Ms Assiga (centre) and her son Florian, 13 (right)

The family had flown in to Gatwick airport after a three-day trip to Bordeaux, France, before boarding the coach to London’s Victoria Station. Pictured: Mr Dudley (left), Ms Assiga (centre) and her son Florian, 13 (right)

‘I looked at my hands and I saw I was covered in blood.

‘It just happened so quickly. The flames just took hold. We couldn’t touch the car any more.

‘One of my mates said you should be called a hero and I said “no, that’s just something you do”.’ 

Three ambulances rushed to the scene at 4.32am, along with an advanced paramedic, team leader, incident response officer and Hazardous Area Response Team, said the London Ambulance Service.

Two fire engines and a fire rescue unit from Chelsea and Lambeth also attended.

The London Ambulance Service said in a statement that despite their best efforts one patient ‘sadly died at the scene’.

A 26-year-old female, who was travelling in the rear seat of the grey VW Polo, died less than 40 minutes after the crash at 4.30am

Mr Dudley said: 'It just happened so quickly. The flames just took hold. We couldn't touch the car any more'

A 26-year-old female, who was travelling in the rear seat of the grey VW Polo, died less than 40 minutes after the crash at 4.30am

‘We took a second patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. We treated two further patients for minor injuries: we took one of them to hospital and the other was discharged at the scene,’ the statement read.

The bus had been travelling from Gatwick to London Victoria. National Express confirmed in a statement that one of their passengers was taken to hospital.

‘One passenger was taken to hospital and all other passengers were safely transferred to a replacement vehicle for onward travel,’ they said.

‘Emergency services attended the scene and we will continue to provide every assistance with the ongoing investigation. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the occupant of the car, who sadly passed away.’

Zipcar, which offers a vehicle-sharing service, said in a statement that it was aware of a fatal incident involving one of its cars.

‘We are shocked and saddened by this news,’ said the company, ‘and our deepest condolences go out to those affected’.

‘We are supporting the Metropolitan Police with their investigation in every way possible.’

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