大象传媒

Headmistress, Joy Dansette met lorry driver, Robert Holt, when her life was in danger

Whilst driving to Newcastle airport for her return flight to her job in the Middle East, Joy Dansette's car suddenly started shaking. It was the last thing she remembered until she woke up in hospital. She had no idea how she'd got there and her multiple injuries made movement impossible.

It was Robert Holt, a lorry driver, who had found her and saved her life. He recalls that he was driving along a deserted A19 when "a car overtook me and instead of pulling in, it veered straight down an embankment, hit a tree and disappeared out of sight." Robert found the car in a ditch, the doors jammed and a strong smell of petrol in the air. The window was open just enough for Robert to get his hand in to turn the ignition off. After removing the window, he could see Joy was badly hurt. Joy was drifting in and out of consciousness. As Robert checked her injuries, he tried to keep her talking. After calling the emergency services, Robert returned to Joy. She was unconscious. He brought her round and kept her talking until help arrived. He then went on with his journey.

Whilst recovering from her injuries, Joy pieced together what had happened. She wanted to express her gratitude to the person who had helped her, but the police only had the name of one of the two witnesses - a lady. Joy knew it was a man who'd saved her life, "I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for him, because the petrol tank was punctured, the engine was running and it was in danger of exploding ..." Eventually Joy got hold of Robert's address, but unsure of his reaction to a letter from her, only contacted him after she'd returned to the Middle East.

When Joy's letter arrived from Saudia Arabia, Robert asked Jill, his wife, to reply for him "it's better from a woman to a woman". A year later, Joy sent a card, and from then on the two families kept in contact.

The Dansette family eventually returned to live in France. Joy felt that this was her chance to thank Robert properly "I really wanted to give him the holiday of a lifetime ... how many times can you say thank you? How many times can you send a bouquet of flowers?" Robert and his wife were delighted with the offer and in a state of nervous excitement, the two families met.

The Dansettes and the Holts remain close. When her two-year-old son was a page boy at the wedding of the Holt's daughter, Joy recalls " It was just lovely. It was just like being part of the family"