THREE heroes averted a major train crash and saved the life of a woman with just 30 seconds to spare.

The valiant trio are set to be nominated for a police commendation for their bravery after the incident, in Waltons Hall Road, Stanford-le-Hope.

The drama unfolded when a 21-year-old woman lost control of her car and it rolled down an embankment, landing on the train track.

The terrified woman was unable to free herself.

Luckily 47-year-old Marc Smith, of Ridgeway, Grays, noticed a dust cloud, caused by the car skidding, at around 11.30am on Sunday and realised something was wrong.

He said: “It wasn’t until I got closer that I saw the car on its side on the railway.

“I could see the girl in the car in a very distressed state.

“My first thought was to get her out of the car as it was on the track.”

Mr Smith, a district manager for Vauxhall Motors, flagged down another vehicle for help.

Mr Smith and the other driver, Dean Rattenbury, 38, of Princess Margaret Road, East Tilbury, rushed on to the track to free the girl, but the passenger door, which was facing upwards, was locked.

Using all their strength they managed to push the car back on to its wheels, where they pulled the girl out to the safety of the embankment.

And without a thought for their safety the pair and a third man, who has not yet been traced, raced back down to the tracks and pushed the car, first on to its side and then on to its roof, until it was clear of the track, seconds before a Southend-bound passenger train came roaring past.

Mr Smith added: “When we got the girl out we thought ‘what about the trains, they could also be in trouble’.

“We just managed to get the car off the track and the train came about 30 seconds later.

“It really was going fast – it was then that it hit home what could have happened.”

Dean added: “It really hit me how close we came when I saw the train approaching.

“But anyone in the same position would have done the same thing.”

Paramedics took the woman to hospital where she was treated for shock.