An electrician who pulled a man from a burning truck just before it burst into flames on a Melbourne freeway will be nominated for a bravery award.
Brandon Phan, 23, was driving home on the Westgate Freeway with his girlfriend about 2am on Saturday when they heard a "massive bang" as a semi-trailer crashed through a metal road barrier.
"(The driver) wasn't getting out of the truck and I thought there would be a massive fire," Mr Phan later told journalists.
"I saw the fuel coming out and so jumped over ... pulled him out of the truck and just moved him away from the truck as much as I could - just in case it did blow up."
Around 30 to 40 seconds later, the semi-trailer burst into flames.
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Neither Mr Phan nor the 44-year-old truck driver were burnt, but the latter was taken to the Alfred Hospital with back and shoulder injuries.
Senior Sergeant John Mason said the driver was "extremely lucky" to be alive.
"Certainly (Mr Phan will) be nominated for a bravery award. He probably saved the truck driver's life," he said.
Mr Phan was just happy the driver would be able to go home to his family.
"You could actually smell the petrol. It was pretty much like when you're at the petrol station filling up your car, it was coming out like that," he said.
"(Afterwards) I was just speechless, knowing that if we were there any earlier, or any later, that could have been a lot more life threatening."
Asked whether he'd do it again, he said: "I probably would."
Speed and fatigue were being investigated as possible causes of the crash.
The accident also caused five cars to run up the back of each other.
One of the drivers, a 37-year-old woman, was hospitalised with back injures.
