12-year-old boy took control of car after mother passed out at 100km/h and avoided tragedy: 'I knew I had to do something'
Light trails of cars on the M20 motorway in Kent, UK. Photo: © Sue Martin | Dreamstime.com
A 12-year-old boy managed to take control of his mother's car and save “countless lives” after she passed out at the wheel while the vehicle was traveling at around 100km/h. Zac Howells saved both his and his mother Nicola Crump's lives as they headed to a Christmas market last Saturday. The two had left Ebbw Vale, in South Wales, for Wellesbourne airfield in Warwickshire, reports the British publication Metro.
On the way, the 37-year-old woman became ill and soon passed out with her foot on the accelerator before pulling the car onto the right on the A40 near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
“We left home at 5:30 in the morning and everything was fine. We hadn't eaten breakfast because we planned to stop at a McDonald's on the way,” she said.
“I rolled down the window and managed to get my coat off. I felt sick, I was sweating profusely. I said to Zac: 'I can't do it anymore, I don't feel good'.”
He tried to pull the car to safety on the dual carriageway, but barely made it before he passed out.
“There was no actual emergency lane, just a narrow shoulder of the road, so more than half of the car stayed in the traffic lane.
The last thing I remember is a truck passing us. Then I passed out, before I could put the car in the “parking” mode”, said Nicola.
How did the child react?
At the moment Nicola lost consciousness, her foot pressed the accelerator pedal, and the car began to cross the traffic lanes at approximately 100 km/h.
But Zac managed to reach over her, hold the wheel and steer the car towards the green area in the middle of the road, where he slowed down, then called 911.
“I was very scared, but I knew I had to do something. When I was on the phone with 112, I saw his abdomen moving and I knew he was breathing,” said the boy.
He was also able to stop the engine using the start-stop button and passing cars were able to continue driving without having to go around the vehicle.
Nicola was unconscious for about eight minutes and says the next thing she remembers is the flashing lights approaching.
“Zac seemed so calm. He turned off the engine because my car has a start-stop button, and when the police needed navigation, he turned it back on to show them the way. It was an extremely quick reaction, unbelievable,” she said.
Nicola passed out due to low blood pressure and was referred to a cardiologist for further investigations before getting behind the wheel again. West Mercia Police later invited Zac to their headquarters to present him with a certificate of recognition for his bravery.
“He literally saved our lives and who knows how many more lives. Thank God he thought so quickly and was so brave, because we both could have died. Nobody prepares you for something like that! It was just incredible – his quick reaction, his calmness, the way he talked to the police and how he calmed me down. He didn't panic, it was amazing,” the boy's mother added.
Photo: © Sue Martin | Dreamstime.com
