10-year-old hero navigates out-of-control truck through traffic
Christopher Wheeler was tagging along with Alfred Smith on a trip to a local scrapyard when Smith lost control of the car.
Christopher Wheeler was tagging along with Alfred Smith on a trip to a local scrapyard when Smith lost control of the car.
Thinking quickly, the 10-year-old Christopher grabbed the wheel of the truck as was able to navigate the car through traffic and bring it safely to a stop, even as Smith drifted in and out of consciousness, having suffered a diabetic attack while he was behind the wheel.
“I didn’t want us to die,” Christopher told WSFA Saturday. “The police were behind us the whole time with their lights on. I told him to stop, and he kept going.”
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Special Agent Eric Salvador, who spotted the truck weaving in and out of traffic, said that he had “never seen anything like” Christopher’s heroic actions.
Senior State Trooper Lee Walls also credited Christopher with possibly saving lives with his actions. “He probably saved some lives. His own, the driver, oncoming traffic. He was the main contributing factor in getting that car to stop.” He then added, “He was mature beyond his years.”
“Without the heroism of that child, I think they would have crashed off the road or into another vehicle. I think he saved a lot of lives out there,” Salvador said.
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