In a remarkable act of heroism, 12-year-old Zac Howells saved the day as his mom, Nicola Crump, started to feel sick and fainted while driving to a Christmas market last December. On October 19, 2026, the British boy was celebrated for his bravery with a major award in the U.K.
Authorities estimate that Crumps was unconscious for seven minutes. With her foot still on the accelerator and the car’s speed increasing to 60 mph, per the BBC, Howells — who was sitting in the passenger seat — took hold of the steering wheel and drove the car “into the central reservation using the friction of the barrier” to slow the vehicle to a stop. He then shut off the car’s engine and called for help — and even the audio of that call points to how courageous and calm he was in the moment.
Zac Howells’ Emergency Call Released, Revealing How He Comforted His Mom After Car Crash
Crump told People that she’d been driving for about a half hour last December when she started to feel hot and told her son she needed to pull over.
“As I passed out, my leg seized onto the pedal and the car started moving,” she recalled. “The next thing I remember is waking up on the other side of the road, completely dazed. I asked, ‘Have we crashed?’ Zac said, ‘Yeah, Mom, but we’re fine. Don’t worry.'”
Incredibly, neither of them were injured in the ordeal. Paramedics told Howells that low blood pressure had caused her to pass out, according to the BBC. Howells, who is now 13, told the outlet, “Even to this day, I don’t see it as a big deal but from other people’s perspective it is.”
In audio from his 999 call (equivalent to 911 in the U.S.) aired by “Good Morning Britain,” Howells sounded totally calm as he reported what had just happened. He told the operator, “Basically, I’m driving on a motorway and my mom just fainted. So, I had to crash the car to stop.”
Howells continued, “We started accelerating. We had to crash into the barrier. Yeah, I don’t know. I’m really scared.” He could then be heard comforting his mom, telling her to hold his hand and breathe.
Zac Howells Received the Child of Courage Award for His Actions
Howells not only received an award from local authorities for his quick thinking, but on October 19, 2026, he was named a Child of Courage at the 2026 Pride of Britain Awards. He was informed of the news weeks earlier by England football (soccer) star Jude Bellingham, who surprised him at a soccer field.
Crump said she didn’t realize in the moment how smart her son had been handling her medical crisis, but told People that she now encourages other parents to discuss what happened with their own kids, and talk about they’d handle a similar situation.
“If anyone could learn something from this, it might be to have that conversation,” she said.
13-Year-Old Zac Howells Heralded for Quick Thinking After His Mom Faints Behind the Wheel