Police officers have commended the quick-thinking actions of a 12-year-old boy who steered his family's car to safety after his dad had an apparent seizure while behind the wheel.
Patrick Canney has told how he was travelling in the car with his father and nine-year-old sister near Boston, US when he realised his dad was ill.
"I asked him what he had for breakfast. He wasn't really answering me. So I kept asking him. He wasn't answering me," Patrick said, adding that he then realised his dad was having a seizure.
Patrick then took control of the vehicle and steered it into a southbound breakdown lane and applied the brakes, before locating his dad's mobile and phoning the police.
"I turned the key off and pulled the car over to the breakdown lane," Patrick said. "We stopped the car. I took the phone out, called 911."
Massachusetts state police said Patrick had was able to describe landmarks to the emergency services so officers could narrow down his location. They eventually tracked him down by the mobile phone signal, but said the search had been difficult because of the number of highways in the area.
His dad was found to be unconscious in the car, but is now said to be in 'good condition' in hospital.
In a statement, the authorities said 'the Massachusetts state police want to commend the quick thinking and courageous actions of this young man' and added that he had also put his younger sister Samantha, who has special needs out of the car and safely behind a guardrail.
Patrick's mum, Deborah, said she was amazed at his ability to protect his dad and little sister at such a young age.
What a brave young man!