A HAIRDRESSER has been praised for his bravery after helping to stop a lorry driver who appeared to lose control on the A40.

Martin Parker-Frost was driving from Headington to Wheatley to visit a friend when he saw the HGV weaving across the dual carriageway.

The 50-year-old from Cassington said it was obvious the driver had no control of the vehicle.

Mr Parker-Frost, who owns Parker's Hair Design in Bicester, described the lorry approaching the traffic lights at the Thornhill Park and Ride and 'heading straight for' the cars on the other side of the road.

He added: "I was on my horn as much as possible to try to get the driver's attention and bring him back to reality.

"I had my hazard lights on trying to warn other drivers to stay back, and luckily it was quite clear up ahead.

"Eventually it appeared to work and he pulled into a layby."

As Mr Parker-Frost rushed to help the driver, he said the man flung open his door before falling from a height onto the pavement and hitting his head.

The business owner tended to the unconscious driver who was bleeding from his head.

He also pulled a sleeping bag from the lorry to keep the driver warm before finding the lorry still moving and applied the handbrake.

The emergency services soon arrived after reports to police of an HGV driving erratically at about 4pm on London Road A40 on December 3.

The driver Milan Mekuta, of Czech Republic, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court on December 6 to dangerous driving.

The 59-year-old was sentenced to 12-weeks in prison and a two year driving ban.

Police said a breath test and blood sample could not be taken at the time of the incident due to the driver's condition.

Investigating Officer, PC Darren Baker of the Thames Valley Joint Operations Roads Police Unit, based at Abingdon, said: “We would like to thank the member of the public for his brave actions in this incident, and for alerting the emergency services, which allowed us to investigate and get a positive court result.

“The actions of this driver put others at risk and it’s lucky that someone wasn’t seriously injured.”

Mr Parker-Frost added: "Looking back yes it was courageous I guess but you just react to what's put in front of you.

"He is obviously somebody's loved one and yes he now has a custodial sentence but at least he is alive.

"Whatever happened his life was saved and hopefully stopped from causing any further havoc."