Three people who held on to a woman in distress on a bridge over the A12 near Braiswick until police arrived have been given Chief Constable's commendations.

Three people who stopped to help a woman in distress on a bridge over the A12 at Colchester have been given commendations by Essex Police’s Chief Constable.

A schoolteacher, a trainee accountant and a trainee tax adviser held on to the woman until an officer reached them. It happened late on a cold night in January this year. The force announced the awards on 26 September. (Essex Police, 26 September 2026)

What happened that night

The force’s account sets out how the three came to be there:

  • A woman driving home from a friend’s house through Braiswick, on the north-west edge of Colchester, had to swerve to avoid a woman standing in the road at about 10pm. The woman did not react to her headlights.
  • The driver turned round, followed her with her hazard lights on so no one else would hit her, and called 999.
  • When the woman went to the side of a bridge over the A12, the driver pulled over, got out and held on to her.
  • Two brothers on their way home from a show at the Mercury Theatre saw what was happening and stopped. One helped hold on to the woman while the other stayed on the phone to the police call handler.
  • Officers closed the A12 below the bridge. A police car stopped underneath it, and an officer climbed up and took over.

The driver told the force the struggle went on for some time and that she was “getting really tired” by the time the officer arrived. One of the brothers said: “You hear about these things happening, but you never think you’re going to be the person responsible for stopping it. It took a while to process.”

What the Chief Constable said

The three were invited with their families to the Chief’s House at Essex Police headquarters. They received their commendations from Rachel Nolan, the force’s new Chief Constable.

She said the three “showed exceptional selflessness and courage to step in and help a vulnerable woman”. “Many other people drove past the woman that night,” she said. “They stopped and helped.”

She added: “Without their intervention, there could have been a very different end to this story.”

The force’s statement names all three and carries their photograph with the Chief Constable. It does not name the woman or say anything further about her, and neither do we.

What it means for you

The account is a plain example of what the force wants people to do when something looks wrong on a road at night: stay with the person if it is safe, keep other traffic away from them, and call 999 straight away so officers can close the road.

If you are struggling, or worried about someone, you can talk to the Samaritans free and in confidence, day or night, on 116 123. In an emergency, call 999.

Sources

  • Commendations for bridge rescue trio, Essex Police, published 08:00 on 26 September 2026, for the account of the night, the quotes, the award and the photograph. Read in full on 27 September 2026.