By Saul Cooke-Black

A HEROIC dad risked his life by deliberately driving into a runaway trailer which was hurtling down a busy main road in 2005.

Derek Hale, 43, used his own car with his two young children inside as a buffer to try and prevent a more serious accident.

He drove his VW Passat into the path of the trailer which was carrying 10 tonnes of hay and careering out of control towards the A46 junction.

The tractor driver in front had suddenly changed gear, causing a jolt which disconnected the trailer and sent it speeding downhill.

“The easiest thing for me to do would have been to drive off, but I looked into my mirror and saw two women in the car behind me and thought I can’t do that," said Mr Hale.

"If I hadn’t stopped the trailer, it would have been travelling at about 40mph by the time it reached the women behind me.

“It was an educated judgement to try and stop the trailer or make it slow down.”

Afterwards Mr Hale, a building site foreman, realised how he could easily have been killed.

“I was very nearly beheaded,” he said.

“When we stopped, there was a piece of metal sticking through the window about a foot above my head.

“I wouldn’t say it was a sensible decision because I am a single parent and my kids are the only thing I’ve got.

“But it just seemed the right thing to do at the time.”