Autistic Boy, 9, Hailed a Hero for Taking Wheel After Mom Blacks Out

An autistic boy was hailed a "superhero" yesterday for avoiding a 70mph crash after his mother blacked out while driving on a busy dual carriageway.

Jonathan Anderson, nine, averted disaster by seizing the wheel after his mother Marion, 34, slumped unconscious on the way to his school.

The youngster, whose disorder can cause high levels of anxiety and confusion, pulled the handbrake on.

The Toyota Avensis veered across three lanes of rush-hour traffic, bumping into the central reservation of the A38 at Plympton, Devon.

But despite being unable to reach the brake pedal, Jonathan refused to panic.

He managed to steer the car back across the carriageway to the hard shoulder before it weaved up a bank and hit a tree, coming to a standstill.

Then he calmly put the hazard lights on and waited for help to arrive.

Yesterday his mother said: "He's my little superhero. The last thing I remember is driving Jonathan to school. I must have passed out, because the next thing I saw was a paramedic fitting a brace around my neck.

"I just couldn't believe it when I was told what had happened and what Jonathan had done."

Doctors believe Miss Anderson, from Plymouth, may have lost consciousness because she suffers from an underactive thyroid which causes breathing problems.

Neither she nor her son was injured. Jonathan has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism associated with communication and sensory problems.

He described the ordeal on Monday as "scary". He said: "Mummy passed out so I held the steering wheel, pulled the handbrake and put the hazard lights on.

"The car stopped and the windscreen smashed. It was scary because I've never driven a car before."

Paramedics Pete Holden and Ray MacFadden praised Jonathan's quick thinking.

Mr Holden said: "We were incredibly impressed with Jonathan's brave actions to save his mother's life.

"It must have been a very frightening experience but his level head and quick thinking prevented a much more serious accident that could have been potentially life-threatening for both mother and son, as well as other road users."

Jonathan is to receive a bravery certificate from the South Western Ambulance Service.