Thursday 10th July 2014 – 8.40pm – Chris Kowalik.
A lorry driver has been praised for his actions in preventing a serious, even possibly a fatal collision on the M5.
He spotted a car swerving on the southbound carriageway, got in front of it then, with the help of a Highways Agency patrol car, managed to slow him down and eventually stop.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called shortly after 5.30pm to attend at junction one.
First on scene was an off-duty nurse with the West Midlands CARE (Central Accident Resuscitation & Emergency) Team who came across the incident and stopped to help.
Two rapid response vehicles were assigned to the case; one driven by a paramedic, the other by a paramedic area support officer. An ambulance was also sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The car driver, a man in his sixties, had had a medical episode at the wheel for which he was treated at the scene and then taken to Sandwell Hospital.
“However, it was the opinion of all the emergency services at the scene that, had it not been for the actions of the lorry driver in forcing the car to stop, this could have been much more serious.”
Ends