UK Boy, 12, Takes Control Of Car After Mother Collapses Behind The Wheel: "Little Hero"

A 12-year-old boy's quick thinking saved the day when his mother fainted while driving on a busy road. Zac Howells, from Ebbw Vale, Wales, grabbed the steering wheel and steered the car to safety after his mother, Nicola Crump, collapsed at the wheel while the vehicle was travelling at nearly 60 mph.

According to Metro, Nicola was heading to Birmingham Christmas market with her son Zac, who had joined her at the last minute after a friend cancelled due to illness. As she drove on the dual carriageway, she felt herself slipping and tried to pull over, but passed out before she could get to safety. 

"We left the house at 5:30 am, and everything was fine. We didn't have breakfast because we were planning on getting a McDonald's on the way. I wound my window down and managed to take my coat off. I could feel myself going; I was in buckets of sweat. I said to Zac, “I'm going; I don't feel well," said Nicola.

As Nicola lost consciousness, her foot pressed the accelerator, speeding the car up to nearly 60mph on the dual carriageway. Zac tried waking her up, but when that didn't work, he took control of the wheel. He expertly guided the car onto the grass verge, slowed it down, and brought it to a stop. 

After safely bringing the vehicle to a stop, Zac switched off the engine and calmly called emergency services, providing precise directions. He even reassured his unconscious mother and checked she was breathing.

"I was really scared but I knew I had to do something. When I was on the phone to 999, I saw her belly was moving, so I knew she was breathing," he said. 

Neither Zac nor Nicola was injured in the incident. Nicola, who suffers from low blood pressure, was checked by paramedics and is undergoing further tests, BBC reported. 

Police officers were amazed by Zac's calmness and quick actions, and he has since been invited to the police headquarters to be presented with a certificate for his bravery. Nicola has described her son as her "little hero" for his actions, which she credits with saving their lives and potentially those of others on the road.

"He literally saved our lives and who knows who else's lives. Thank God he thought so quickly and was so brave because we both could've died. You don't prepare for anything like that! It was just incredible—his quick thinking, the way he stayed so calm, the way he spoke to the police, and the way he reassured me. He wasn't panicking; he was just unbelievable," she added.