Man pulls daughter, 7, to safety before 'horrific' crash leaves husband trapped between two vehicles

Emergency service workers try to cut Kris Rawlinson free after the crash (Picture: Matthew Stringer)

A man has told how he pulled his young daughter to safety before a “horrific” crash that left his husband trapped between two vehicles in north London.

Matthew Stringer said "parental instinct took over,” enabling him to save his seven-year-old from the collision in Haringey on Sunday.

He said he grabbed her and dived out of the way as a van sped towards them while they were walking along the street.

Mr Stringer’s husband Kris Rawlinson dived in the opposite direction between two parked cars and was trapped and crushed when the van hit them.

Kris Rawlinson receiving treatment on a stretcher after the crash (Matthew Stringer)

Mr Rawlinson's leg was broken and he was cut out from between the cars by ambulance crews, the police and the fire brigade.

He was taken to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where he is now waiting for an operation.

Mr Stringer told the Standard of his fear for his husband and daughter.

He said: "It was the most terrifying experience. The van came hurtling over the bridge out of nowhere, driving straight towards me, my husband and my seven-year-old daughter as we walked down the path towards the park.

"You get a second to react and I was so glad that parental instinct took over for me. I grabbed my daughter and dived into the road to avoid what was about to be a horrific crash of the van, through a brick wall and into parked cars."

Mr Stringer added that it took around an hour for Mr Rawlinson to be cut free from the scene.

"We are so grateful that it wasn't worse," he said. ​

Kris Rawlinson in hospital waiting for an operation on his broken leg after the crash (Matthew Stringer)

The van driver also suffered minor injuries in the crash.

A man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs, police said. He has since been released under investigation.

An air ambulance was also at the scene (Matthew Stringer)

A London Ambulance Service Spokesperson said: "We were called at 10.56am to reports of a road traffic collision in Palace Gates Road, Wood Green.

"We sent two ambulance crews, a medic in a fast response car and an incident response officer to the scene. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.

“We treated a man at the scene for injuries to his chest, pelvis and ankle and took him to a major trauma centre as a priority.”