A Saudi teacher saved herself and three colleagues after the driver of their moving car died on a road north of Qassim last Wednesday morning.
Teacher Amani al-Mansour said: “My colleagues and I experienced terrifying moments as the car moved without a driver after he initially lost consciousness and we tried to revive him. We thought he was asleep, then realized he had fainted, especially as the car was bumping along and moving erratically beside the road.”
She added: “When I saw that he was not responding, I grabbed and steadied the steering wheel to prevent the car from entering the truck-filled road or crossing the dirt barrier and overturning, particularly because there were so many trucks.”
Although Amani had never driven before, she managed to stop the car by turning off the engine and pulling safely to the roadside. The teachers then sought help for the driver, whom they believed unconscious. He was taken to hospital, where it was announced that he had died while driving.
Amani said teachers who travel by road should know safety procedures, first aid and the workings and components of a car.
Residents of Uthal and the local administrative head celebrated her actions and presented her with a plaque for her heroic role in saving herself and her colleagues.
Qassim’s assistant director of education, Haifa al-Youssef, also honored her quick response, which protected the teachers from an accident.