Heroic Cops Pull Dying Man From Car Wreck so He Could Say Goodbye to His Family for the Last Time

A man who lay dying in a car wreck was given the chance to say farewell to his family thanks to the quick thinking of a group of police officers.

Michael Bradshaw, 72, was suffering from serious injuries including broken legs after a head-on car crash in the city of Chesterfield, U.K., last October.

The driver in the other car, Daniel Spooner, 30, died at the scene, which officers described as "carnage." Fearing that Mr Bradshaw's car would also burst into flames, officers managed to haul him from his seat to give him first aid.

Police officer Toby Meek, who was one of the first on the scene, said one car was completely crushed. It then started to smoke.

"Unfortunately, there was nothing that we could do for the person in the crushed car except keep the flames under control.

"But there was a risk that the flames would spread to the other car so we had to take the decision to pull the other driver out of the vehicle.

"We carried him away from the wreckage and the fire service pulled him away on a stretcher," Meek said, according to Derbyshire Live.

Another officer, who did not want to be named, said the man had many injuries, including a separated right ankle and foot. One of his arms had a compound fracture too, and he had some fractured ribs.

"Although we didn't save his life, the coroner at his inquest said that we gave him a chance to say goodbye to his family," the officer said.

"His injuries were horrific–I could not believe he was still conscious when we got to him, but the fact that we helped him say goodbye to his family will always stick with me." The victim was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died.

The unnamed officer, Meek and officers Pete Robinson, Hannah Cocking, and James Parker, were given a commendation at the Derbyshire Constabulary Celebrating Achievement Awards on Tuesday.