I’m a motorway traffic officer and I can’t believe I’ve been nominated for a BBC Bravery Award
Despite being used to working in high-speed environments, Tony Neve went above and beyond in protecting a member of the public and others.
A National Highways traffic officer has been nominated for a bravery award after saving the life of a critically injured person on the motorway.
Tony Neve, 37, was shortlisted from more than one thousand others for the bravery honour - and has spoken of the moment he heroically rescued a young woman.
He said: “It had been a busy night shift with the weather particularly wet and I was on patrol alone when I spotted a person who looked distressed in the early hours of the morning. I immediately drove up to her location, but before I could act, she had put herself in danger.”
Being the first on the scene he immediately contacted his control room, to reroute vehicles around the emerging situation before making a split-second decision to go to the woman’s rescue.
He said: “I instantly thought I had to get to her, she’s someone’s daughter or loved one.
“I put her into the recovery position and carefully checked her for injuries. I’ve never been so relieved, as I knew she was out of harm’s way.”
All the time Tony was caring for her, he was also updating his control centre colleagues ensuring drivers could continue making their journeys safely.
His heroic actions have led to him being shortlisted for The Bravery Award in this year’s BBC Radio Lancashire Make a Difference Awards. Lancashire Police nominated him for the honour.
Hassan Khan, Superintendent, Specialist Operations at Lancashire Police, said: “We commend Tony for his remarkable bravery. His selflessness and dedication to protecting the public are truly admirable.
“His intervention saved a life and prevented a potentially critical incident; this award recognises his outstanding selflessness and kindness. Thank you, Tony.”
It is only since being nominated for the award that Tony has learned that the young woman he rescued that night survived and is rebuilding her life.
Tony, from Clayton-le-Moors, said he was truly humbled by the nomination and overjoyed to hear the woman concerned was doing well.
He said: “When they first told me about the nomination I was in disbelief. When I sat down with my wife I admit, I did shed a tear that someone had taken the time to nominate me, and that from more than one thousand entries the judges had shortlisted me for the last four.
“You don’t do this kind of job for awards, and I was just in the right place at the right time that night to help.”
Stationed near Preston, Tony has been a traffic officer for seven years and his duties can take him on patrol across the North West, from Greater Manchester to Cumbria.
Tony has been invited to attend the awards night ceremony at Blackpool Tower on Saturday, September 21, when the overall winners will be announced.