A TV and radio presenter has thanked an anonymous van driver who saved her life while travelling on the A64 near York.
BBC journalist and Look North presenter Clare Frisby revealed the road nightmare on Twitter – when a car was heading directly for her early yesterday morning (Wednesday).
She wrote: “My sincere thanks to the quick thinking van driver on the A64 Copmanthorpe junction at 4am who averted a serious incident when a car driving the wrong way down the westbound carriageway was heading straight for me.
“His frantic light flashing gave me enough time to take action.”
Her near miss happened as she was on the way to work at the Leeds studios.
Viewers who saw her calmly presenting the headlines during BBC Breakfast would have had no idea of the drama she had gone through just a couple of hours earlier.
Clare told David Dunning on YorkMix Radio what happened.
“It was a normal travel-to-work day, four o’clock in the morning, dark, and I was just coming level to the Copmanthorpe junction.
“And my attention was drawn to a vehicle on the other side of the carriageway. At that point there were two sets of lights and one of them started flashing frantically.
“And in that second I realised that actually one vehicle was on my side of the carriageway facing the wrong direction and coming straight towards me.
“Although strange things happen to you at that time in the morning when you’re on the road, nothing has ever happened quite as scary as that.”
Clare praised the van driver who flashed a warning to her.
“It was the quick actions of the van driver that alerted me and gave me enough time to really deal with the situation.
“And I will always be so grateful to whoever that is. I’d like to thank you – because it bought me just enough time to move into the slow lane, realising that the other vehicle was also moving into the slow lane, and then at the last minute I pulled out and he shot past me onto the grass verge.”
Clare’s followers were relieved to hear she was OK.
One said: “Good grief, I’m so relieved you’re safe – but just take time as you may have delayed shock.
“I was on that junction Tuesday when someone was most confused on it!! Hugs x”
Another said: Thank goodness you are safe! Must have been very frightening x #NationalTreasure”.
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]