Man rescues mum and daughter
Published: March 15, 2007
A humble hero who pulled a mother and her daughter from a car wreck before it burst into a fireball has played down his bravery.
Peter Steel dragged Nicole Ballinger, 34, and Tennisha Crombie-Ballinger, 8, clear before the mangled car erupted in flames near Kerang.
Ms Ballinger’s partner, Troy Lyons, 36, and son Jaydn Crombie-Ballinger, 11, are believed to have died on impact when the car ran off the road and hit a tree on Sunday.
“No, no, no, I’m not a hero,” Mr Steel said yesterday, telling how he tried to help the other victims.
“We just couldn’t get them out until the fire basically took over the whole car and everyone yelled out ‘Let’s get out of the way, get out of the way in case it blows’.”
Ms Ballinger’s mother, Glenda Ballinger, said the family would be forever grateful to Mr Steel.
“We just want to thank the man who got our daughter and granddaughter out of the car,” she said. “He probably saved their lives. We could have lost them all.
“We’re battling to cope with this. It’s absolutely devastating.
“Jaydn really was a lovely little boy. He loved his music and his art. He was getting really good at playing his trumpet.”
Jaydn was in grade 6 at Swan Hill Primary School and a proud member of the school band.
Police and ambulance officers praised Mr Steel.
Sgt Scott Williams, from Kerang police, described him as brave.
“He managed to pull females out of the vehicle as it started to catch fire,” Sgt Williams said.
“When paramedics arrived, the passer-by had pulled two people from the car,” said John Mullen, from the Rural Ambulance Service.
“The usual advice is not to move someone because of the danger of spinal injuries, but this person must have seen he had to get them out. If they hadn’t got them out they may have perished.”
Ms Ballinger was yesterday recovering from serious injuries in the Alfred hospital.
Her daughter was being treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Both were in a stable condition.
They had been in Shepparton for the day, where the two children had spent the weekend with their father. They were travelling home when the crash happened about 8pm.
Police are investigating whether fatigue or illness were factors.
Mr Lyons worked at a recycling plant in Swan Hill where he lived with Nicole, his partner of more than five years.
Mr Lyons was excited about becoming a grandfather, with eldest child Corrine expecting a baby in June. He was also the father of Hayden, 14, Harley, 12, and Skie, 10, all of whom were shattered.
Mr Lyons’ aunts, Anne Lyons and Dianne McKenzie, described him as a hard worker who loved his kids and treated Nicole’s children as his own.
Ms McKenzie said Troy came from a close-knit family who would rally to support each other and Ms Ballinger in their grief.
“He was a real family man, he’s left so much behind,” she said.
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