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M-way hero’s arrest

Mike Keegan
26/ 9/2007

A HERO trucker who saved a driver from her burning car after a motorway pile-up was arrested - for trying to get back to his lorry.

Graeme Deacon, of Hurst Crescent, Wye Gardens, Glossop had earlier led another shocked driver to safety after stopping to help following the crash.

When he tried to cross the carriageway to get back to his truck, a police officer told him to stop.

A row broke out and Mr Deacon (pictured) says he was threatened with CS gas and arrested - then spent three hours in a police cell.
Mr Deacon said: "If this is the way they treat someone for saving others I would hate to see what happens to real criminals."

The 38-year-old HGV driver was driving on the M67 near Hyde when he saw a car on the opposite carriageway crash into the central barrier.

He parked up on the hard shoulder and led the shocked driver to the safety of the central reservation. Another car then ploughed into the back of the wreckage and caught fire.

Mr Deacon ran to the second car and wrenched the door open, freeing a young woman.

Then, wearing a fluorescent jacket, he directed traffic away from the accident and cleared a path for emergency services, who he had already called.

He said: "I had managed to lead two people to safety, diverted traffic and in my eyes averted a major catastrophe.

"I was late for work as it was and had given police my details and a statement, but when I started to walk back to my car I was told to stop or else I would be arrested for the equivalent of jay walking.

"I was told in no uncertain terms that unless I complied I would be CS gassed. Then three officers threw me to the floor, rammed my face into the gravel and handcuffed me - I couldn't believe it."

He was put in the cells at Ashton police station and told his truck had been towed away. Police insist he was detained for his own safety and for the safety of others.

Mr Deacon said that after three hours, the duty inspector apologised for the "appalling" way he had been treated.

Supt Alan Greene praised Mr Deacon for doing "an excellent job at the scene of this incident".

He added: "Once traffic officers arrived they offered to get Mr Deacon back to his truck safely, but asked him to wait until they had brought the traffic under control. He insisted on trying to return to his truck by crossing three live lanes of motorway traffic, with vehicles travelling past at high speed.

"In order to prevent him from causing a danger to himself and others, officers had to restrain Mr Deacon and he was arrested. This action was necessary at the time to allow officers to bring the situation under control."