A truck driver rescued two people from their burning car in Masterton early yesterday morning after it was driven into the rear of his fully-laden logging vehicle. The man, who yesterday declined to comment, had spoken to his McCarthy Transport colleagues about the incident that happened just before 4am when hedrove his truck out of Buchanan Place at Waingawa, heading north on State Highway 2, company dispatcher Brent Beech said. Masterton police Sergeant Chris Megaw said a southbound Subaru Impreza with a male driver, 22, two female passengers, 19 and 20, and a male passenger, 20, collided with the rear of the truck and trailer unit and burst into flames. Mr Beech said the truck driver told of immediately leaving his cab and running to the damaged car to find a fire burning in the engine bay. "The driver was in shock and his foot was stuck behind one of the pedals. "He got him out and went over to the front passenger. "She was in a lot of pain from what he reckoned was a broken leg and she wouldn't let him touch her. "She wasn't keen on being moved either apparently but the fire was getting worse so he and one of the passengers from the back of the car managed to calm her down enough to get her out," Mr Beech said. He said the driver had driven trucks for the past 15 years and the collision yesterday was his first. "He's a top operator and we're really proud of him and his quick actions." Wairarapa Ambulance Service operations manager Shawn Camp said the escape of the four car passengers, who were all taken by ambulance to Wairarapa Hospital, was "miraculous". "They were very, very lucky people," he said. Sergeant Megaw said the 20-year-old woman received a possible broken ankle and shoulder and the driver received facial lacerations. The 20-year-old male passenger suffered minor injuries and the 19-year-old female received a severe lower-leg fracture, he said. The road was blocked by the collision for at least an hour, Mr Megaw said. Police are still investigating possible causes of the crash, including speed and alcohol factors.
