‘Quick thinking’ 11-year-old boy steers car to safety after father faints at wheel

An 11-year-old boy was hailed as “brave” after he took control of a car in Hong Kong when his father suddenly fainted at the wheel.

The incident occurred on Monday at around 6.20pm, when the 47-year-old father, identified in the media only by his surname Hui, suddenly lost consciousness, causing the vehicle to veer out of control. He was driving in Kennedy Town in Hong Kong.

Seated in the front passenger seat, the boy quickly grabbed the steering wheel in an attempt to stop the car.

He managed to steer the vehicle for about 100 metres before it collided with a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle driven by a 66-year-old man. The car then mounted the curb and crashed into roadside metal barriers before coming to a halt.

Despite the dramatic circumstances, no one was injured in the crash.

Social media users hailed the boy as “brave” for his quick thinking.

“Movie scene quick thinking by the father and the kid. The best part is that there are no injuries,” a user said.

“He did absolutely fine, he’s not gonna be able to reach the pedals so he steered it into a barrier and another car, if nobody was hurt I count that as a win,” another user said.

The boy, the other driver, and the passengers involved were all reported to be unhurt.

Paramedics rushed the unconscious driver to the hospital for treatment.

His condition was not immediately known. Police are investigating the incident, including the cause of the father’s sudden fainting and the circumstances leading up to the crash.

In 2018, an eight-year-old boy was hailed a hero after he took control of a car at 60mph and steered it to safety after his mother suffered a seizure.

The boy, Ben Hedger, put the hazard lights on and drove the car across the lanes in Colchester, in Essex. He navigated the car before bringing it to a halt on a grass verge, preventing a likely major accident.