A truck driver has been hailed a hero after saving the life of a woman involved in a horrific pile-up at a notorious accident blackspot.

One man died and queues stretched for miles towards Brighton and Hove yesterday following the smash on the A27 at Castle Goring, Worthing.

The crash occurred a few hundred yards from where three people died in a pile-up in December 2005.

Neighbours said accidents were occurring on the "nightmare stretch of carriageway" every few months.

Trucker Chris Phillips emptied three fire extinguishers trying to save a woman, who has not yet been named, involved in the crash.

He was driving his petrol tanker on the westbound carriageway, just metres behind her Renault car, when the smash occurred at 11.45am.

Mr Phillips, 49, from Farnborough, Hampshire, said: "It happened about 50 metres in front of me. I saw a girl slam into the side of the car as it pulled out. I thought she was going to somersault over it.

"I could see the underside of her car as it hit, the impact was really strong. I jumped out of the cab and someone shouted: 'There's a fire!' "I grabbed a fire extinguisher and emptied it on her car. When that ran out I went back for another and managed to contain the blaze.

"I then ran over to the car she had hit. Someone said the driver was dead but I managed to find a pulse, then I had to go back and tackle the fire again."

Mr Phillips fought back flames with a third extinguisher before firefighters arrived on the scene to find the car still ablaze.

Without his actions the vehicle could have exploded, but unfortunately the second driver died later at the scene.

Traffic officer PC Bob Blair, of Sussex Police, said he and another driver who helped fight the fire had shown a "heroic response".

He said: "It was heart warming the way members of the public assisted the casualties with first aid and helped the emergency services put out the fire."

Mr Phillips has already received two previous commendations by police for saving the life of a motorcyclist in Devon.

But last night he downplayed his actions and denied he was a hero.

Instead he told The Argus he was just following the emergency procedures he had been taught by his company, Murco Petroleum.

He said: "It took a while for the emergency services to get there by which time we'd got the woman safely out of the car.

"But I wouldn't say I was a hero. Adrenaline kicks in and you just get on with it. Afterwards I had to tell my wife what happened and all the emotions poured out.

"I'd like to offer my condolences to the dead man's family. I did all I could."

Police closed the A27 in both directions while they launched an investigation into the crash and removed the debris from the road.

Queues built up for miles and it was not until 4.30pm that the dual carriageway was fully reopened.

Clive Hancock, 37, and Sharon Hewer, 38, of Worthing, and Ivor Bingham, 39, of Dorset, were killed in a smash outside the nearby Coach and Horses, Salvington, 15 months ago.

Their vehicle was hit by the van of drink-driver Luke Quinell as he returned home after a Christmas party. Quinell, of Grafton Street, Portsmouth, was jailed after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving while more than twice the drink-drive limit.

Lesley Hill, has been campaigning for a 40mph speed limit on the 70mph road after her son Andrew, 18, almost died in a smash there in 2003.

Mrs Hill, who lives next to the pub, said: "I heard it all. We're getting quite used to it by now.

"Every time I hear sirens go up and down that road my heart sinks. It's just a nightmare stretch of carriageway.

"How many times is this going to happen before someone will listen to the people? Every three or four months there's something. It's a tragedy - another person lost on the A27."

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