Bravery Awards: Duo who rescued unresponsive woman from car win bravery award

22 January 2024

Two police officers who rescued an unresponsive woman from a car on a busy motorway and gave her CPR have received a West Midlands Police Bravery Award.

Police Constables Marc Russell and Jack Biddle were on their way to an incident involving a robbery when they were stopped by a distressed male who waved them down, alerting them to a woman who had ‘passed out’ at the wheel of her car.

The pair stopped the car and quickly saw a static car, with an unresponsive and ‘pale’ woman slumped over the steering wheel.

“When we stopped, I remember just freezing. I looked at Marc, he looked at me but we both knew immediately that something was seriously wrong,” said 22-year-old Jack, who was a Special Constable at the time of the incident.

PC Marc Russell

Jack immediately grabbed his baton and smashed the back window of the vehicle.

“The woman wasn’t breathing,” added Jack.

Together, the pair managed to safely remove the woman from the car and to the side of the road.

Marc then started initiating CPR on the woman until colleagues from the ambulance service arrived and took over.

“You just go into auto-pilot,” recalled 31-year-old Marc, who has been in the Force for three years.

Sadly, the woman had suffered a cardiac arrest and later died, despite the efforts of the two officers.

Inspector Glenn Mernagh who nominated the pair for the award said the duo showed ‘exceptional bravery’.

He said: “Sadly, the lady subsequently died but your actions resulted in providing the family with a precious opportunity to say goodbye in hospital.”

Speaking about winning the award, probationary officer Jack, who is currently training to be a regular officer said: “I immediately wanted to tell my parents, I couldn’t wait to tell them. They are immensely proud of me.

PC Jack Biddle.

“And to win this award with Marc makes it even better.”

Marc said the pair were just doing their job, but he is ‘very grateful’ for the award.

“I’m so proud of Jack. He was a volunteer at the time but I couldn’t have asked for any more of him that day.

“He really is such a great guy, who has a clear passion for policing and is always willing to learn.”

The awards take place on Wednesday 31 January, when Jack and Marc will receive their Solihull area award, which is sponsored by Axon.

The West Midlands Police Federation Bravery Awards is sponsored by Slater & Gordon Solicitors and will be held at Tally Ho Conferencing and Banqueting Centre in Edgbaston.