A GOOD Samaritan who rescued a motorist from the wreckage of his burning car has been honoured for her bravery.

Sally Harris, 41, pulled the deaf and mute driver out of his car following a three-vehicle collision that included a minibus full of children.

Mrs Harris, who teaches first aid at Red House School, in Norton, Stockton, impressed police officers at the scene so much they nominated her for a Royal Humane Society award, which she picked up at Cleveland Police headquarters this week.

During the ceremony she had an emotional reunion with Malcolm Haywood, 61, who she helped drag from the car.

The three-way collision happened when the driver appeared to lose consciousness while driving on Junction Road, Norton, near Stockton, last December.

His car careered into Mrs Harris's, glancing off her wing mirror, before ploughing head-on into a minibus travelling in the other direction.

After checking that the children, who included her own son, were not injured, she turned her attention to the driver.

She said: "He looked like he was injured. He couldn't tell us what happened because he was deaf and mute.

"We were worried for a moment because someone said he might have had a heart attack.

"Thankfully, he was pretty good at lip reading, so he let me pull him out of the car and I treated him at the side of the road while we waited for the ambulance.

"Somebody said there was petrol leaking out of his car, but I didn't think it was ever that critical. The car wasn't going to explode.

"I don't think I did anything special."

Mrs Harris received a bronze medal and a certificate signed by Princess Alexandra, the society's president.

Mr Haywood's neighbour, Maureen Elsbury, who lives in the Rush Park area of Bishop Aukland, translated proceedings into sign language for him at the ceremony.

She said: "He couldn't remember the face of the woman who helped him, so when she stood in front of him it all came flooding back. It was very emotional for him."

He suffered a broken collar bone and five fractured ribs in the accident, but soon returned to his job as auxiliary at Beverley School for the Deaf in Middlesbrough.

Founded in 1774, the society is one of the oldest organisations in Britain to recognise bravery. Last year, only 14 bronze medals were awarded nationally