Teenager from Fareham thanked by family for help at fatal crash

CARING teenager Joseph Miles has been honoured for comforting a woman dying in the street after a motorbike accident.

The 16-year-old was recognised for his actions following the collision last year in which Julie Corben died.

Joseph, from Fareham, was given his award for ‘remaining calm and composed at the scene of the accident and offering comfort to Mrs Corben and support and consideration to those at the scene’.

The teenager was in his bedroom on the day of the crash when he heard a loud bang.

He looked out of the window and saw the aftermath of the collision.

He immediately called the ambulance service and ran to the scene to see how he could help.

Joseph went to Mrs Corben’s side and offered her words of comfort in her final moments.

In the citation, police said that although her injuries were not survivable, the last thing Mrs Corben would have been aware of was ‘this lovely young man demonstrating such kindness and compassion under very traumatic circumstances’.

They added Joseph ‘displayed a level of maturity and consideration for others that belies his years and experience’.

Since receiving his award at the Chief Constable’s Awards ceremony, Mrs Corben’s family have thanked Joseph for his actions.

Speaking on behalf of the family, husband Chris told The News: ‘We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. He is a special person to have stayed with Julie after the crash.

‘We haven’t spoken to him since the crash but we want him to know we haven’t forgotten the lovely work he did for Julie.

‘We look forward to meeting him and thanking him in person.’

As previously reported in The News, Mrs Corben, 55, died in June last year while riding her new Harley Davidson along The Avenue in Fareham.

Despite work from paramedics at the scene, she died from her injuries.

At the same awards, two women from Fareham were commended for their acts of bravery after stopping an attack which could have been fatal.

Neighbours Patricia Hatherley and Linda Yorke intervened an attack on a 66-year-old man who was being beaten with a steering lock in Wagtail Way on August 27.

The women ran over to help the victim, who was on the floor, and tackled the attacker.

Mrs Hatherley, 75, said: ‘I heard this commotion outside and realised someone was arguing.’

The arguing soon intensified and a fight broke out.

Without thinking about their own safety, Mrs Hatherley ran over to pull the attacker off as her neighbour, Mrs Yorke, 68, caught up to help.

‘I just jumped in,’ Patricia said. ‘I wasn’t there on my own for long before Linda came running over as she had seen the fight start from her house. We pulled the man off and hugged the victim.’

Both women believed that due to the level of violence, the victim could have been killed had they not intervened.

Mrs Hatherley added: ‘I cannot tell you why I jumped in when I do not even know myself. I had to do something to stop it.’

The women were able to identify attacker Malcolm Dutton, 34, who was arrested and charged.

He pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this month.

The pair received their award for ‘outstanding bravery when faced with a serious assault and subsequently 
identifying the attacker who was intent on causing serious life-threatening harm’.