Mags Chineah sprinted to rescue a driver from a burning car (Credit: BHRUT)
Mags Chineah pulled a driver, aged in his 50s, from his car as his bonnet went up in flames in Dagenham Road on Monday, 4 October.
“I saw a car crash into a sign on a mini-roundabout and could see flames under the bonnet straight away,” explained Mags.
“I was worried it would explode so I jumped out of the car and sprinted over.
“He was in shock so wasn’t moving very fast so I helped pull him out and got him away from the car as quickly as I could. I was completely acting on instinct.”
Fortunately, the London Fire Brigade quickly arrived at the scene and managed to put out the flames and prevent an explosion.
Mags works as a heart failure nurse and has been employed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust for nearly 30 years.
It was by chance that she was even there as she was being driven to work by her daughter and was running late.
Her daughter Nicole called 999 and once Mags had checked both drivers were okay, she headed into work as the emergency services had arrived.
It’s not the first time mum-of-three Mags has helped in an emergency, she’s often gone to the aid of people who have collapsed in public, including once on a plane.
She explained: “It was in ‘99 and I was on a flight with two of my children when they were little.
“A call went out for a nurse or doctor as someone had collapsed so I went to help, in that case it was a simple faint. I never panic in an emergency and it doesn’t bother me to run towards a situation. In this case it was the first time I’d sprinted in years – and I think I pulled something!”
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Tags: Romford, Havering, Queen's Hospital, Rush Green
