ONE of the first people to come to the aid of those injured in the Oxford Eastern Bypass crash was among three members of the public to be honoured by the fire service.

Doreen White, 55, from Hardwick, near Bicester, received the Royal Humane Award while bus drivers Bruce Coppen, from Barton, Oxford, and Dennis Ratcliffe, from Abingdon, both received the Chief Fire Officer's commendation.

Mrs White was two cars behind the people carrier being driven by Angela Dublin which crossed the central reservation and crashed head on into a car being driven by student Howard Hillsdon in May 2005.

Mr Hillsdon, 21, and youngsters Josh Bartlett, Liam Hastings and Marshall Haynes, all aged 13, were killed in the crash and Dublin has since been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving.

Mrs White, a retired nurse who is now training to be a priest, said she and her son-in-law, firefighter Steve Johns, leapt out of the car and crossed the road as soon as they saw the crash.

While Mr Johns, who was recognised at last year's Chief Fire Officer Awards, contacted the fire service and co-ordinated rescue attempts, Mrs White set about assessing the condition of those caught up in the multi-vehicle pile up.

Mrs White said: "I started at the back of the crash and made my way forward assessing where I could help best.

"I was also telling other people how they could help because they seemed to think I knew what I was doing. Some people were a bit shaky so I would say go and look after him or her.

"At one point I was looking after one of the young lads that survived and then a student nurse came and said 'what I can I do?' and I told her to keep his airway open.

"I could see Angela Dublin was breathing so I left her, because at that point I was more concerned with anyone that was not breathing."

Mrs White then went to the car which Howard Hillsdon had been driving and saw passenger Daniel Orme was trying to clamber out.

Mrs White added: "I helped to get him out and assessed his levels of consciousness.

"I put his mobile phone back together which had fallen to pieces and eventually I rang his parents, girlfriend and sister and Daniel spoke to them.

"He was in shock at that point and in a lot of pain because he had facial injuries and a fractured collarbone, but I would not let him sleep at that point."

Mrs White looked after Mr Orme for the next hour and a half. She said she had flashbacks about the accident in the months following the crash and had to have counselling.

She added: "I had been in two minds about accepting the award. I knew it would bring back a lot of memories of the day, but decided I would accept it because to turn it down would be ungracious. I also wanted to highlight the fact that a lot of people gave their help that evening but went away without leaving their names and addresses.

Josh Bartlett's mother Jane Barber is now campaigning to alert children about the need to wear seatbelts.

Mrs White added: "I want to drive the message home to people and say 'come on people, don't even drive your kids to the next street without using seatbelts.'"

  • Mr Coppen, 32, and Mr Ratcliffe, 40, came to the aid of a couple whose flat at Gloucester Green in Oxford caught fire in January.

Mr Coppen said: "It is nice to be recognised. When you do something like that you don't expect to receive an award. I would act in the same way again. That is the type of person I am, even if it is a dangerous situation."