Car crash hero Duncan Bridge dragged an injured driver out of his car after it burst into flames.

Mr Bridge, 43, then tried to give the driver, Michael Amon, heart massage but his efforts failed. Mr Amon of London Road, Milton Common, near Thame, was dead on arrival at Wycombe General Hospital.

His speedy action was not enough to save Michael Amon,

He was dead on arrival at Wycombe General Hospital where a post mortem examination was taking place today Wednesday.

Mr Amon's Renault 5 was in collision with a Ford Fiesta driven by Mr Bridge, of Green End Road, Radnage, at the junction of Marlow Road and New Road, Stokenchurch, at 7.30am yesterday.

Mr Bridge said: "There was a head-on collision between our cars.

"As soon as I saw the other car was on fire I grabbed a fire extinguisher from mine and managed to keep some of the flames at bay. A passing motorist helped me get Mr Amon out and I tried to perform heart massage.

"He was alive at first and I could feel a faint pulse but I just couldn't keep him going." Mr Amon had just dropped off his friend and former colleague English tutor Miss Lynda Williams at Cressex School, High Wycombe, where both had worked together.

She said: "He left me to drive home.

"I knew something was wrong when some children said to me: 'Oh good, Miss, you're here. We thought it was your car in the crash at Stokenchurch'.

"It was just then a matter of waiting for confirmation.

"That was slow because the fire burned away the registration plates."

Mr Amon, 67, had been a research engineer with EMI before becoming a teacher.

Former colleague Lynda Williams, who was in Mr Amon's car minutes before the crash, paid tribute to his teaching. She said: "He wanted to do something he felt was useful."

"He taught in Slough before going to Cressex in the craft, design and technology department.

"He did 21 years as a teacher and then retired eight years ago on health grounds."

Mr Amon had lived at Milton Common for over 20 years and leaves a son and a daughter.

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