A 10-Year-Old Boy Steers Truck to Safety After Driver Passes Out

Christopher Wheeler, a third-grader from Alabama, was riding down the highway in a truck when the driver, his 70-year old neighbor, passed out from a diabetic episode.
A 10-Year-Old Boy Steers Truck to Safety After Driver Passes Out
Third-grade student Christopher Wheeler with a police officer Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
Jonathan Zhou
Updated:

Christopher Wheeler, a third-grader from Alabama, was riding down the highway in a truck when the driver, his 70-year-old neighbor, passed out from a diabetic episode. 

The truck began to swerve in traffic, and continued for several miles, running multiple red lights and almost crashing into a few cars head-on before Christopher managed to slam the breaks. 

I didn't want us to die. The police were behind us the whole time with their lights on.
Christopher Wheeler

What Christopher did is nothing short of impressive.
Eric Salvador, state's attorney general's office

Miraculously, neither Christopher nor anyone else was injured in the ordeal, and the driver was taken to a hospital. 

“I’ve been doing law enforcement almost eight years and I’ve never heard or seen anything like this happen,” Salvador said. “What Christopher did is nothing short of impressive.”

Christopher’s father said that he had taught him how to drive at a young age, so he knew where the breaks were. 

“I’m just proud of him,” Christopher’s father said. 

Jonathan Zhou
Jonathan Zhou
Author
Jonathan Zhou is a tech reporter who has written about drones, artificial intelligence, and space exploration.
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