The Courier has tracked down the Good Samaritan who saved a family of four from their exploding car.
Last week, the Cook family recounted their miraculous escape as their car went up in flames while they were travelling along the A92 to a family Christmas get together in Fife.
Former Fifer James Cook was still in shock as he recounted how the car had burst into flames only seconds after he managed to pull over and get his wife Frances and two children, Eilidh and Ethan, to safety.
He credited the family’s survival to the quick thinking of a fellow motorist and his wife who alerted them to the fact flames were shooting out from underneath their vehicle.
He was oblivious to the unfolding drama until the driver behind started flashing his lights.
It was only when both cars pulled into a layby on the A92 at Markinch that the family saw how close they had been to serious injury — or worse.
A minute after getting out of the car the fuel tank burst into flames and soon the vehicle was reduced to a burnt out shell.
Mr Cook shudders to think what may have happened had it not been for the knight of the road and wanted to thank him properly for saving the lives of his family.
And after reading The Courier, Kirkcaldy man John Deacon has come forward as the unassuming hero of the highway.
He and his wife Yvonne went out of their way to pursue the car.
“We were heading to Perth, and joined the A92 just past the John Smith business park when my wife said ‘Do you smell burning?’.
“I first thought ‘Don’t tell me something is wrong with the car’ but heading toward Redhouse roundabout we smelled smoke and I thought there had been a blowout.
“The traffic had slowed and that was when we saw the car in front of me with flames underneath the motor.
“He was heading to Markinch and we went right after him, flashing our lights.”
John, a 58-year-old contracts manager with CMS Window Systems, ushered Frances and the traumatised youngsters into his car where Yvonne, 57, comforted them all while he called the fire brigade.
Like James, it was only afterwards he thought of the consequences.
“I am an emotional guy anyway and it only kicks in later when you think ‘Wow’,” he said.
He played down his role, saying: “We just did what we had to do.”
However, it is only when he recounted how many motorists simply drove past, that his actions speak for themselves.
From hero to zero?
From hero to a rather soggy “numpty”, that’s what happened to John Deacon in his own words.
Around the time he became a Good Samaritan he was taking his dogs for a walk around Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy as usual.
However, he became engaged in a conversation by text and, not having brought his glasses, was engrossed in his phone when his own calamity struck.
“And I ended up in the pond,” he laughed.
“I had just walked off the edge of the path and was up to my waist in water.
“What a numpty!” he added.
Worker shared dramatic footage
Colin Prentice, who works for Bear Scotland, was one of the first on the scene that day in the trunk road incident support vehicle.
The organisation patrols the A92 for Transport Scotland and assists the police on the network .
He shared dramatic images with The Courier of the scene just moments after the car burst into flames, and of the burnt out shell of the Cooks’ car, in an attempt to find the Good Samaritan.
