A Selby woman burst into tears when she unexpectedly met the man who saved her life in a horrific death smash.

Veterinary student Nicola Dyson, 24, threw her arms around Selby miner Geoff Thomas who pulled her from her blazing car just seconds before it exploded in a ball of flame.

The crash happened seven months ago - and it was only yesterday at an inquest in Selby that Nicola finally came face-to-face with her hero.

Nicola had been sitting in the inquest waiting room for more than an hour just a few feet away from Mr Thomas, but did not realise who he was until he started giving evidence.

The Gascoigne Wood miner broke down in tears in the witness box as he relived the horrors of the fateful smash on Sherburn bypass in March.

Motorbiker Stephen Chapman was killed, but Nicola cheated death thanks to father-of-three Mr Thomas, 51.

Nicola, of St Wilfrid's Crescent, Brayton, said: "There are no words to express how grateful I am to Mr Thomas - I wouldn't be here today but for him.

"To say he's my hero is an understatement. When I looked at what was left of my car afterwards, I feel so lucky to be alive."

A tearful Mr Thomas said: "I've always wanted to meet Nicola, but the only time we spoke was on the phone when she had just come out of hospital and things were still very raw."

Nicola's mother Fay said: "We wouldn't have Nicola if Mr Thomas had been one of those motorists who drive past road accidents."

Mr Thomas told the inquest earlier that he was on Sherburn bypass when a wheel and then a motorcyclist came sliding down the road.

He said he then found Nicola inside her silver Nissan Cherry. Flames were already licking up the smashed windscreen and into the car.

All the doors were jammed, so he crawled through the boot and gently inched Nicola, who was trapped in the driver's seat, out of the rear of the hatchback.

A few seconds later, the smouldering Nissan exploded in a fireball.

Mr Thomas was told by coroner Jeremy Cave that he had done a fantastic job.

Nicola was taken to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield where bone specialists and plastic surgeons re-built her face.

She now has six metal plates and 23 screws holding her face together after breaking her jaw, cheekbone, eye socket. She also lost three front teeth, and broke her arm, elbow and ankle.

Mr Cave recorded a verdict of accidental death on Mr Chapman, 45, who was from Doncaster.