The modest off-duty paramedic hailed a heroine for helping injured motorists in Saturday’s M40 smash says she did not do anything extraordinary.

Charlotte Cole, known as Charlie, was travelling from her home in Yalding to see her family in North Wales for a week’s holiday, when she was caught up in the 33-vehicle collision.

A 65-year-old man from Woking, in Surrey, died in the crash just after junction nine on the northbound carriageway at Bicester.

Another was left in a critical condition and 61 others involved in the pile-up were helped by paramedics.

After the crash, motorists came forward to praise a mystery off-duty paramedic who, despite being injured, had helped many of them including father and daughter Neil and Jemma Crowder from Kennington.

And following an appeal in the Oxford Mail, Miss Cole came forward to say it was her.

The 27-year-old, who has worked for South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) for two years and is based at Paddock Wood, described the moment it happened.

She said: “The fog literally fell within seconds. I was going to get off at junction 10 because of it, but it just came out of nowhere. I tried to stop and then got hit from behind. Then there were bangs all the time.”

Last night, SECAmb clinical operations manager Jeff Overton said they were proud of her actions.

He added: “Charlotte acted quickly and professionally to check and treat those around her despite being injured herself.

"We’re very proud of her actions and our thoughts are with all those affected by the incident.”

Injured herself, Miss Cole still managed to climb out of the roof of her Mini Cooper, which was severely damaged in the crash, and then her instinct kicked in: “My car was so smashed up I had to get out of the roof and people were helping me out.

"Then I just went into autopilot. I am known for responding to road traffic collisions but not quite on this scale and being involved in it was a whole other ball game.”

Miss Cole, who suffered whiplash and bruises in the crash, began treating the wounded and said she was using a blanket she had in her car to make collars for people.

She said: “There were a lot of walking wounded but it was a case of working out who was the priority.”

Miss Cole said she made the first emergency call at 7.48am and several ambulances, police cars and fire engines arrived at the scene.#

She said: “The scale of it was just crazy. I called it in as a major incident and told them I was a paramedic. I helped direct them on the scene when they arrived. I have never done so many blood pressure tests.”

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Nathan Jarvis said on Sunday that he would like to find the paramedic to thank her properly. He said: “For someone involved in that incident themselves to be able to act in that professional way, all praise goes to her.”

Miss Cole said she was bombarded with calls and messages yesterday after the appeal for her identity was posted and shared on social media.

But she was very modest about the appeal: “It’s what we’re trained to do. It’s lovely that people remember me but I’m really shy.”

After more than two hours at the scene helping the wounded and emergency services Miss Cole was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe to have X-rays and blood tests because of how damaged her car was.

She said: “It was weird seeing all the people I had helped again in the hospital. All the staff were fantastic and seemed to know who I was.”

“The scale of it was just crazy. I called it in as a major incident and told them I was a paramedic. I helped direct them on the scene when they arrived" - Charlie Cole

Miss Cole, who is now recovering at home with her family, said she’s amazed nobody else was seriously hurt. She said: “There are some very lucky people out there.”

She said she wanted to pass on her condolences to the family of the man killed in the crash.

Thames Valley Police said it was the most severe accident they’d dealt with in years.

Chief Inspector Henry Parsons said: “It does very much touch you personally.”

Yesterday, Kerry Blair, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident commander said Miss Cole did a “sterling job”.

He added: “We are very grateful and impressed, having someone of the scene from the onset was invaluable.”