Car crash survivor reunited with rescuer who pulled her from wreckage

HANAN Ben-David smashed a windscreen and pulled Kensington’s Alice Gatt to safety last week after a car crash. Then he vanished. The Southern Courier reunited them.

Alice Gatt embraces Hanan Ben-David for the first time since he rescued her from a car crash. The good samaritan left the scene and was later tracked down by the Southern Courier. Picture: Jenny Evans

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WHEN two cars collided at a busy Kensington intersection last week, most bystanders followed their instincts and whipped out their phones.

But thankfully for Alice Gatt, Hanan Ben-David kept his phone in his pocket.

The 32-year-old ran to Mrs Gatt’s aid and a likely explosion when the car accident happened at the corner of Alice and Kensington streets last Wednesday.

Petrol was leaking from her upturned car, she was stuck behind the wheel and covered in glass shards.

The car had skidded and flipped, pinning her down but remarkably she was otherwise unharmed.

“My first reaction was to take her out,” Mr Ben-David said. “It always happens in the movies, but I knew it could explode. It’s on the mind. But I wanted to take her to safety.”

Using his shirt, Mr Ben-David peeled back the broken windshield in chunks.

“Then after that I jumped in so I could get her out”.

Mrs Gatt’s car being flipped by towing services. Firefighters covered the petrol in sand.

The scene attracted a large crowd but emergency services were still minutes away.

“People were staring, they started taking videos and photos; I guess they didn’t have anything better to do,” Mr Ben-David said.

“I know that people were concerned, but you don’t just take your phone out. That’s the power of social media.”

After freeing Mrs Gatt, Mr Ben-David phoned her husband and guided her to an ambulance.

Mr Gatt met his wife’s hero only briefly.

“He said my wife was involved in a fairly bad car accident but she’s fine,” he said.

“I turned away to find my wife, then I looked back and he was gone. I couldn’t even give him a bottle of whisky to say thank you,” Mr Gatt said.

“Not only had he gone straight to my wife as soon as the car stopped, but he proceeded to get her out.

“It was an explosive situation and he didn’t care — she was more important than he was.

Stephen Gatt with his wife Alice praised Hanan for saving her life. Picture: Jenny Evans

Mr Gatt approached the Southern Courier on Thursday asking for help to track Mr Ben-David down.

“He took a great risk and got into the cabin itself to see how injured she was and comfort her,” he said.

Kensington’s reluctant hero was surprised to be contacted, but happy to be reunited with Alice on Sunday.

“I just did my bit to help and gave over to the ambulance and firefighters,” he said.

“I wanted to give them privacy. It wasn’t proper to stand and stare.”

Mrs Gatt embraced him when they met for the second time.

“I was very lucky to escape,” she said.

“I had no idea what was happening to be honest, I was dazed. He said ‘close your eyes’ and then he broke the glass and pulled me out.”

“He was very reassuring and efficient, he had me out so quickly.

Mr Ben-David, who moved to Australia from Israel about nine years ago, attributed his quick thinking to a year served in the country’s armed services.

The driver of the second vehicle walked away from the crash.

Originally published as Car crash survivor reunited with rescuer who pulled her from wreckage