A woman who was left "petrified" after her car suddenly caught fire on the A14 in west Suffolk is looking to thank a man who helped her after the blaze.

Emergency services were called to junction 42 of the eastbound carriageway, near Bury St Edmunds, at about 7.30am on Friday following reports of a vehicle fire. 

Police, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and the ambulance service were in attendance at the scene. 

The incident happened on the exit slip road of the A14 at junction 42The incident happened on the exit slip road of the A14 at junction 42 (Image: Emma Banner) Emma Banner's Audi A1 was pictured on fire in the exit slip road and the incident caused heavy delays in the area. 

Miss Banner, from Newmarket, was driving her Audi to her work in a doggy daycare centre in Bury St Edmunds when the blaze broke out.

The 21-year-old said: "I was petrified. I couldn’t stop crying and I was very shaky when it happened. I’m still very shaken up and emotional.

"I lost a fair few of my belongings that were left in the car, and the car itself of course."

The damage to Mrs Banner's car following the fireThe damage to Miss Banner's car following the fire (Image: Emma Banner) Miss Banner is looking to speak to a man who pulled up next to her car to help her when the incident happened. 

She says the man helped her to safety and waited with her until emergency services arrived to bring the fire under control.

Miss Banner wants to thank the man, but she cannot remember his name due to the shock she was in at the time. 

Miss Banner says she was petrified by the incident. Miss Banner says she was petrified by the incident. (Image: Emma Banner) The road was cleared a short while after the incident and the traffic that built up the area subsided a short while later.

This incident comes as junction 44 of the A14 was also closed in both directions in the early hours of Friday after the central reservation of the road was damaged following a crash.