A 12-year-old boy has been hailed a hero after his calm and decisive actions saved his mother's life when she lost consciousness at the wheel of their car on a major road.
A Terrifying Journey to the Christmas Market
Nicola Crump was driving her son, Zac Howells, from their home in Ebbw Vale, Wales, towards the Birmingham Christmas market on the morning of December 24th. The trip was a last-minute change of plan after Nicola's friend fell ill. The pair had set off at 5:30 am, planning to stop for breakfast on the way.
As they reached the Ross-on-Wye area on the A40 dual carriageway, Nicola suddenly began to feel extremely hot. She managed to open her window and remove her coat, but within seconds knew she was in serious trouble. With no hard shoulder available, she activated her hazard lights but passed out before she could apply the handbrake.
Zac's Incredible Presence of Mind
As Nicola lost consciousness, her foot pressed down on the accelerator. For the next seven to eight minutes, while his mother was unresponsive, Zac took control of the situation. The young boy grabbed the steering wheel and guided the car onto the central reservation, using the uneven grass to help slow the vehicle down.
Once the car had jolted to a stop, Zac switched off the engine using the car's stop-start button. He then immediately called 999, where he remained remarkably calm, precisely describing their location to the emergency services operator and even restarting the satnav when police needed the road details.
Aftermath and Acclaim for a Young Hero
Emergency services arrived within minutes. Paramedics assessed Nicola and discovered she was suffering from very low blood pressure. She plans to visit her GP for further tests before driving again. Although the car sustained considerable damage, it was not a write-off, and miraculously, neither Zac nor his mother suffered any physical injuries.
"He saved our lives and who knows who else's," a grateful Nicola told Wales Online. "Thank God he thought so quickly and was so brave because we both could've died." She described her son as her "little hero," praising his lack of panic and his ability to reassure her in the aftermath.
While waiting for a family member to collect them, Zac and Nicola even shared a coffee with the paramedics. In a fitting reward for his bravery, staff at a nearby Starbucks later gave Zac a free frappuccino.
