Website of the YearA Waikato police officer put others ahead of himself when he drove in front of a driver suffering seizures to prevent him crashing into other vehicles.
Waikato police Senior Sergeant Simon Cherry labelled the Te Awamutu sergeant's actions nothing short of "heroic" after he saved the life of the driver but also possibly other motorists on the road.
Cherry said the officer was heading home about midday on Monday when he came across a slow-moving truck. He overtook the truck only to be confronted with a vehicle travelling at 60km/h on Paterangi Rd.
However, disturbingly he noticed the car veer across the centre line.
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Advertise with NZME.The sergeant tried to pull the vehicle over by flashing lights and activating his siren, but the driver did not halt on his path.
The officer noticed the driver was staring straight ahead with a blank look on his face.
The car continued to be driven eractically so the sergeant pulled in front of it to slow it down and force it to a halt.
"He got in front of the car and stopped it, as the car was still going at him from behind."
The sergeant got out of his car and ran to the man's car to find it was a key-less ignition, but eventually managed to turn it off.
He then discovered the 62-year-old was having a seizure.
The driver had only recently got his licence back after an earlier incident.
Cherry credited the officer's actions in preventing a serious crash,
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Advertise with NZME."He saved a real chance of a fatality. It was really heroic. Very brave."
The driver had a medical assessment and police were continuing investigations.
