'Unbelievably brave': Grieving mother praises rescue bid for pair trapped in burning car
The mother of a young man killed in a car accident on the Shropshire border says the actions of motorists who went to help him and his best friend were "unbelievably brave".
Christine Smith, from Bettisfield, said Andrew Frost ran to the aid of her son, Shane Vickers and his friend Philip Madden knowing the car they were trapped in was on fire.
Despite the rescue, the men died in the accident on the A495 Whitchurch to Ellesmere Road at Bronington on October 30, 2014. Today Mrs Smith said Mr Frost and others who joined him had done everything they could to try to save them.
"Mr Frost's actions were unbelievably brave," she said. "If he and the other man had not got Shane and Philip out of the car before it went up in flames we would not have known if they suffered.
"Both the families have so much to thank them for."
An inquest in Ruthin this week heard Mr Vickers died instantly and Mr Madden was unconscious from the moment of impact.
The hearing was told that a mystery car seen on CCTV moments before the Mr Madden's car hit a tree, had never been traced and Mrs Smith re-iterated the coroner's plea for the driver to come forward.
"I don't know how the driver sleeps at night. I hope the fact that they didn't stop eats them up like it eats us up every day," she said.
"We don't know what happened, why the car left the road. Please, please if you know anything contact the police."
Mr Frost, from Whitchurch, plays football for Hodnet FC and fellow players joined him and motorist Ralph Reynolds who were first on the scene.
"The footballers have been tremendous," Mrs Smith said.
"They visited our family and Phil's family, gave us wreaths with the football team's colours on and invited us to one of their football matches. It was a very special link in awful circumstances."
