A BRAVE 12-year-old boy has been awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation for his bravery in saving his mum’s life when she suffered a medical episode when driving.
On Saturday December 14, Zac Howells managed to take control of the car his mum, Nicola, was driving after she lost consciousness with her foot remaining on the accelerator.
They were on their way to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market.
Quick thinking Zac attempted to wake his mum before taking control of the steering wheel and he guided the car onto a grass verge to slow it down.
Once the vehicle had stopped, he switched off the engine and called 999. Zac remained calm and gave the call handler the exact location of their car to which officers were deployed.
Thankfully, neither Zac nor his mum were injured during the incident.
Today (Wednesday 14 January) Zac and his mum visited West Mercia Police headquarters in Hindlip, Worcestershire.
The morning was spent having a tour of the HQ, meeting the call handler who took the call from Zac, meeting an officer who attended the incident, and they were also lucky enough to meet some of the police dogs who were off duty.
Chief Constable Richard Cooper then met with Zac and his mum, and the brave boy was presented with a Chief Constable’s Commendation.
The Chief Constable Commendation is awarded to individuals who demonstrate exceptional bravery, outstanding courage and actions that go beyond what is normally expected.
Chief Constable Richard Cooper said: “I am delighted to present Zac with this award today following what must have been an extremely frightening experience for such a young boy.
“For a 12-year-old to react in such a calm and mature manner is magnificent and I would like to express my gratitude for his actions that day.
“His display of bravery certainly extinguished any danger to them both but also that of other members of the public who were on the road that day.”
