A good Samaritan, who slipped away after dragging a woman and her two children from a car wreck and ripping his shirt to tend the woman's wounds, has stepped forward after an appeal in the Evening Press.

But Nestl worker Bob Duncan says he is not a shrinking violet - simply a man already late home from work and trying to get back to his wife and family.

"I had left work late, which just happened to mean I was there when I was needed," said Mr Duncan, of Temple Newsam, Leeds, who works in the Kit Kat department at Nestl, York.

"As I was driving home along the outer ring road, I saw what I thought was smoke and guessed a hedge might be on fire.

"But then I saw two cars had stopped up ahead because there was a upside-down car on my side of the road.

"I realised the accident must have happened quite recently because the engine was still running and what I'd thought was smoke were the exhaust fumes.

"I pulled my car off the road and then jumped on top of the crashed car to gain access to a door. The woman inside was talking to me through the glass and helped to push the door open and then I heard the children crying in the back of the car.

"None of them was badly hurt although the woman had hurt her hand - I think they were all very lucky."

Mr Duncan, a father of two, tore the sleeve off his shirt to make a bandage for the woman's hand and once he saw that other people were taking care of the family, he went on his way.

"It was all just luck," he said. "It was lucky I was late from work and lucky the door opened so easily. I was already late home and I had ripped my shirt so I just wanted to get back to my wife and children."

But detective inspector Geoff Dodd, of York Police, said Mr Duncan's prompt action was extremely courageous and may have helped to save the family from further harm.

He said the smashed Audi could have exploded at any time or collapsed on top of Mr Duncan, who showed no concern for his own safety when rescued the family.

"He acted swiftly and in an extremely brave way when he was confronted with exceptionally difficult circumstances," said Inspector Dodd.

"Many people would have found the situation very difficult to cope with, but Mr Duncan behaved in a courageous and public-spirited way and potentially helped to save the lives of the occupants of the crashed car."

See COMMENT 'Punctual hero'

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