A Police Officer Saved This Car From Flipping Over A Bridge With His Bare Hands

 

1. Superman

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Marvel seems to be getting the upper hand as of late in their infinite battle with rival comic company DC. Iron Man and Captain America have replaced Superman as the default when many think of superheroes. While many believe you should actually hate Superman, what he represents is more important than how great his recent movies have been. He is a symbol, something to strive for and remind humanity that we can do better and help others in heroic ways.

2. Police

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Firefighters are just like real life super heroes. So are police... well, they're supposed to be. While the media shows many that make you suspect of them all, there are still officers out there that will restore your faith in humanity. Martin Willis is one such officer.

3. Martin Willis

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West Yorkshire police officer Martin Willis is a seemingly regular cop. He seems like a friendly, humble public servant. However, this may be his Clark Kent persona, because he is now being called a real life Superman.

4. Crash

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It all began when a van was involved in a multi-car collision in the early morning of the A1 thouroughfare in England.  Willis was the first officer on the scene. He arrived and saw a van dangling over a bridge, in danger of falling.

5. His Reaction

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Willis had been working as an officer for 10 years. When he saw the scene and noticed there was a man in the van hanging upside down, instinct kicked in. He ran over and grabbed the vehicle with his bare hands.

6. Don't Move

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Under these extraordinary circumstances, he was able to help keep the man in the van calm. He explained, "I told the victim not to panic and said 'we're going to get you out of there, whatever you do, don't move. I then grabbed hold of the rear wheel and pulled inwards which helped to keep the van balanced."

7. The Wait

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Willis held onto the van until backup could arrive. All told, he held the vehicle in place for 15 minutes. That must have felt like an eternity to the officer and the man trapped in the van.

8. Help Is Here

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Finally, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene. They were able to stabilize the vehicle and relieve Willis, who must have been exhausted by this point. They also rescued the man, who had serious leg injuries.

9. Life Saver

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What was Willis thinking with this stunt? He was thinking about saving lives. He said, "Every time a lorry went by I could see the van sway and I just thought, 'It's right over the A64. If this van goes over it will kill the driver."

10. Hero's Welcome

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How did his peers react to his deed? They gave him a hero's welcome, of course. They applauded and started calling him "Superman."

11. Willis' Reaction

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And how did Willis respond to the attention? Did he revel in it? Let it go to his head? Not at all. He gave a response befitting of someone named Superman.

12. Just Doing His Job

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Willis has remained incredibly humble about the experience. He said this was all in a day's work. He considered this just doing his job.

13. You Need To Help Them

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He said that while this isn't an everyday occurrence, he considered it something any of his fellow officers would have done.

"Sometimes you do have to take risks. And if you need to help someone, you need to help them."

14. Warning

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Right after he gained notoriety for this, he decided to use the exposure to further help and educate everyone about the importance of driving safely.

"Good evening. Thank you very much to everyone that has tweeted such kind words to me about the collision on the A1M this morning! Very much appreciated! It's not going to be as cold tonight but beware as there is still the potential for ice if skies clear. Drive carefully."

15. Up, Up And Away

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It's almost  frustrating how modest he's being. His fellow officer, Adam Pace, summed him up best, saying, "Your superman cape isn't in this photo though! Must have come off in the fracas!"