A DELIVERY driver has been praised for his quick-thinking to help a van driver who had crashed on the A1.

Mark Beggs, who only started at Asda Dunbar five weeks ago, was making his daily deliveries when a Ford Transit van travelling in front of him suddenly veered into the central reservation barrier.

All the vehicles behind the van were forced to stop, including Mark and his shopping.

The 51-year-old, who was heading east on the A1 near Dunbar, jumped out of his van and ran over to the driver to give assistance while fellow motorists called the emergency services.

Mark, who previously spent 30 years in 2 Scots Regiment Royal Highland Fusiliers, retiring as a warrant officer, said: "The guy was in distress, hanging over his seatbelt and struggling to breathe.

“I assessed his injuries and I knew I had to cut his seatbelt away so I asked one of the other people beside me to go and get my bag from my van.

“In there I had a cardboard cutting tool which cut the seatbelt easily.

"The driver was wedged in by his seatbelt and he couldn't move or breathe so when I cut it I think adrenaline kicked in and he panicked.

“He got out of the vehicle as the door was missing, stumbled out on to the road and then collapsed onto the verge."

East Lothian Courier: Mark Beggs only started working at the store less than six weeks agoMark Beggs only started working at the store less than six weeks ago

Together with an off-duty nurse, Mark assessed the driver's injuries again and stayed with him for about 30 minutes and chatted to him until the emergency services arrived and took over.

Then, following the incident last Wednesday (October 6) at 4pm, Mark, who lives in Dunbar, continued with his deliveries as normal.

He added: "I'm just glad he was okay.

“If he didn't have his seatbelt on then the situation could have been a lot different."

Paul Hewitt, Asda Dunbar's online trading manager, praised his colleague for his quick-thinking.

He said: "As a store, we are all very proud of Mark.

“Not only the way he just jumped in and calmly handled the situation, but also keeping his customers up-to-date with their deliveries as the road was closed for a time.

“He excelled on all bases."