At midday today, a major Sydney freeway was closed due to a car fire that left a very pregnant woman and her husband safe.
When Sebastian and Gretta Lough’s Hyundai started to smoke and subsequently caught fire in the southbound lane of the freeway, they were traveling through the Eastern Distributor close to the Randwick Bondi exit.
“There was smoke coming and cars were beeping at us we had our hazards on,” said Gretta.
“I was freaking out at first but I knew I had to calm down.”
Belinda Jackson, a mechanic with NSW Fire and Rescue, arrived first and assisted the couple in getting to safety.
“I pulled her to safety into the fresh air in the cabin,” recalled Jackson.
“She was quite distressed watching her car on fire, and I just wanted to make sure she was OK.”
Jackson assisted the couple and then received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Two individuals, a man and a woman in their 30s, were admitted to the hospital, according to NSW Ambulance, but the reason for their admission was not disclosed.
Following the event, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel’s southbound lanes and the Eastern Distributor were forced to close in both directions.
There was a four-kilometer tailback for southbound traffic towards St Leonards, and a seven-kilometer tailback for northbound traffic towards Roseberry.
Since then, both tunnels’ southbound lanes have reopened.
Some drivers were forced to leave their automobiles and make their way out of the tunnel on foot in order to escape the smoke, while others were stuck waiting in their cars for a long time.
Traffic was reported to be “very heavy” in both directions for drivers in the region, but it is presently moving slowly.
