THE bravery of a luxury car salesman has been recognised by police after he plucked a stricken customer from the burning wreckage of the test driven vehicle.

Dad-of-two Lee Christian, 37, from Knutsford, was given the award after he saved the life of a Warrington stockbroker, Andrew Shepherd, from Croft, in the high speed crash, which happened on the A50 near High Legh, last August.

He received a top bravery award from Cheshire’s Chief Constable Simon Byrne last week.

 The accident happened after Mr Christian took the customer for a test drive of a new £245,000 McLaren 650S car, which veered off the road close to High Legh Garden Centre and drove into bushes before hitting a tree.

He said: “After we impacted with the tree, my first thought was that I was okay, but when I looked across the driver looked in very bad way.

"The impact had ripped off the driver’s door and there were flames in the back of the car.

"I tried to get make my escape through the passenger door but that was jammed, so I had to clamber over the stricken driver.”

Once out of the car, Mr Christian made two fruitless attempts to pull the critically injured driver from the vehicle before on the third attempt succeeding.

He explained: “The fire was so intense that it was difficult to get to him and on the third attempt I knew it was going to be now or never. I managed to grab him by his trouser belt and by an arm and with my feet against the vehicle managed to pull him out.

“What is even more surprising is that I then managed to carry him 30 metres into the field with the car behind me banging and exploding.

“Such was the intensity of the blaze, that passersby, used the detached driver’s door to shield him from the intensity of the blaze.”

Emergency services who attended the scene called in the air ambulance, as up to six paramedics worked to stabilise the driver ahead of its arrival.

The driver who spent weeks in hospital is still recovering from his injuries including fractures to his shoulder, elbow and ankle and has been undergoing skin grafts.

Mr Christian who sustained a nasty cut to the back of his head and burns to his face and head was back in work at the McLaren dealership at Canute Place within four weeks.

“Subsequently, I had two very nice letters from the driver’s wife in which she said without my actions he would not be alive today.”

In the weeks following the crash Mr Christian also went to thank the firefighters from Stockton Heath who had attended on the day.

“One of the firefighters told me it had been the single biggest accident he had attended where the crew did not have to remove bodies. That just shows how lucky we both were on that day.”

Lee’s dad Robert added: “Despite his head hitting the windscreen, he was fortunate to remain conscious and that is what saved both their lives. I am so proud of him.”

At the presentation Chief Con Byrne said: “It was a selfless act in an extremely perilous scenario that put Lee’s own life at risk. His actions are very much deserving of this commendation.”