Susanna Reid told ITV viewers she was 'in tears' after hearing the 999 call made by 12-year-old Zac Howells, who steered his mum's car to safety when she collapsed at the wheel. Zac and his mum, Nicola Crump, joined Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, October 20, to discuss the incident that earned Zac a Child of Courage Award at the Pride of Britain ceremony.
Quick Thinking on a 60mph Dual Carriageway
Nicola passed out in her car while driving to a Christmas market in Warwickshire from their home in Ebbw Vale last year, after telling her son she did not feel well. The car sped onto a dual carriageway at 60mph before Zac took control.
Reid told viewers Zac had "seconds to act" as he crashed the car into the central barrier before calling emergency services. The 999 call, which Ed called "astonishing", was played to viewers, with Zac calmly explaining the situation and telling the handler he was "really scared".
Zac Reassures His Mother
As his mum began to wake up, Zac could be heard reassuring her. He said: "Calm down, it's fine, hold my hand. You ok? Mum, breathe. It's fine, I just drove the car, it's really easy. I'm worried about you, not me. I'm fine."
After the audio ended, Ed laughed as he commented: "It's impossible not to laugh at that, I mean it's a very serious situation." Susanna replied: "I'm in tears listening to it, oh my goodness."
Mother's Relief and Gratitude
Zac told the presenters that his mum started to come back around about seven minutes into the emergency call, saying: "When I saw my mum was coming round, It was a massive relief."
Nicola explained she had passed out due to low blood pressure. She told Susanna and Ed: "When I woke up, I remember looking over the dash and seeing we were on the other side of the road. I was like, have we crashed? He was like, 'Yeah, but we're fine, don't worry about it, we're alright'. He just kept me so calm; in his voice, he was calm. Then, when I went to hold his hand, he was trembling, physically trembling. I think the adrenaline got him through; he was just in survival mode."
Award Broadcast This Week
Nicola praised her son, saying: "It was only this week I sat and thought, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have survived that crash if he wasn't in the car that day. I would've just kept accelerating until I had come to a stop. I can't believe how calm he was."
ITV viewers can watch Zac receive his Pride of Britain Award on Thursday night (October 22) alongside the nation's other heroes. Good Morning Britain airs on ITV weekdays from 6am.
