Hats off to Daniel Hurst, an agency driver working for the Stockport office of recruiter Driver Hire, for whom a shift for building materials provider Cemex UK turned him into something of a hero.

On a dark and wet evening last month, he was negotiating the Peak District’s Snake Pass, heading to Sheffield.

“Something caught my eye at the side of the road,” he says, “so I pulled over to take a closer look. It was all a bit surreal. There was a car about eight feet off the carriageway, on its side, engine running with the wheels still turning round. 

“The car was resting against a tree, hanging over a ditch.” 

There was, he then noted, a woman inside. He flagged down another passing vehicle, whose driver called the emergency services, and set about securing the vehicle. 

“The car windows were shut so communicating with the young lady wasn’t easy,” Hurst continues. “But I managed to explain that help was on its way and asked her to switch off the engine. I reversed my truck onto the side of the road and tied a heavy duty strap from its tow bar around one of the car’s axles.”

The emergency services arrived and were reportedly amazed the driver was uninjured. She was able to go home that evening.

 A Derbyshire Constabulary spokesman says: “Hurst’s quick thinking meant there was no chance the vehicle could slip. It was lodged against trees but they could easily have given way.  By attaching a strap to the car he made sure it was safe.  He did a really good job.”