Helicopter spotted M6 crash car - watch video
An eagle-eyed police officer has told of the dramatic helicopter rescue mission to free a Lancashire mum trapped in her upside down car for almost 24 hours.
Sgt Chris Kinson, 49, was on board a police helicopter when he spotted a glint of silver poking out from a wooded embankment at the side of the M6.
Pilot captain Dave Mawson landed the helicopter before another officer, PC Martin Woods, realised the silver glint was that of the convertible MG of Leyland mum Kerrianne Timberlake, 33, who was last seen at 7.45pm on Thursday - almost 24 hours earlier.
Mrs Timberlake, of Hargreaves Avenue, had been trapped inside the wrecked car overnight after careering off the M6 near Bamber Bridge, shaving two trees and landing in the dense woodland.
Amazingly, she escaped with just a dislocated finger.
Sgt Kinson, of Lancashire Police's Air Support Unit, said today: "We all felt totally elated once we realised our hunch was right.
"We often deal with the negative side of the job chasing criminals and when something like this happens, it gives you a boost. We're just pleased she is OK."
A major police hunt was launched after Kerrianne, who works as a hairdresser in Grimsargh, failed to return home to Leyland on Thursday night.
Police chiefs decided to scramble the force helicopter to trace her route along the M6.
At 5.25pm on Friday, her sports car was spotted by the three officers buried in trees just off the southbound M6 close to junction 29.
It was just yards from the hardshoulder but hidden from the view of passing traffic because it was down an embankment.
Despite spending the entire night trapped in the vehicle, she was conscious and able to joke with 999 crews.
Father-of-three Sgt Kinson, who has been with the air support unit, based at BAE Warton, for four-and-a-half years, said: "We saw a little mark in the grass on the embankment at first so decided to turn round but it turned out to be nothing.
"We all then spotted a glint of silver in the treeline but it was nothing really that alerted us. We put the camera on it but we were still not 100% sure, you couldn't tell it was a car.
"We decided to land nearby but even when Martin was 3ft away you still couldn't see the car.
"Passers-by who walked their dogs past it that morning had not seen it.
"That's when Martin told me over the radio it was her and she was OK.
"You are expecting the worst to be honest so it was great that she seemed fine."
Sgt Kinson called in other 999 crews who then took over the rescue, which took another two hours to free her.
He added: "It was a really good spot by the team. We went around a few times and didn't give in. I'm sure she would have been found eventually but at what stage who knows."
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Friday 03 September 2010
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