Mark in Action: Driver saves pedestrian on busy motorway

Last year, NHSSC HGV driver Steve Purdie was on his way from Normanton to the Washington base in the early hours of the morning when he noticed something alarming on the motorway.

Steve explained: “At about 4am, I saw a man walking along the line of the hard shoulder and staggering into the first lane of traffic. I made the quick decision to pull over onto the hard shoulder and call 999, and then call the transport team to make them aware of the situation.

“I later found out that other drivers that morning had also called emergency services but no one else had stopped."

Steve bravely approached the pedestrian, who he realised at this point was heavily intoxicated, and helped him to a safe place. He said: “I waited with the man until the emergency services arrived as he was slurring and in a drunken state. Once the Highways Agency had taken him I was able to carry on with my trip knowing that he was safe."

Steve, reflecting on the circumstances that led to his Mark in Action award, said: “I was both surprised and honoured to be put forward for the Mark in Action award and felt very proud on the day I received it. I returned to work with a massive smile on my face and wear my Mark in Action pin with pride.”

Gary Bradley, Transport Supervisor, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Steve going above and beyond with his actions to potentially save someone’s life.

“The Unipart Mark in Action awards are a fantastic opportunity to reward people like Steve who go above and beyond in their roles and, while representing Unipart, do not hesitate to help the public while continuing in their day to day responsibilities, like making sure hospitals get deliveries of life-saving equipment everyday.

“Steve is a hugely valued member of the team and we have his photograph of him receiving his Mark in Action award displayed in the transport office, and Steve also has a photograph displayed at home.”

On the day of the incident, Steve put others needs ahead of his own and prevented the person getting seriously injured or killed on the motorway. Not only did Steve prevent an incident that would have had a massive impact on other road users but, most importantly, he made sure someone's family member was able to get home safely.

The full Mark in Action ceremony from January 2024 is available to watch with this video link.

To nominate a Unipart employee or team for a Mark in Action award click here.