A quick-thinking eight-year-old has been hailed a hero after steering his mum’s vehicle to safety after she had a seizure at the wheel.

Lauren Smith had picked up her son, Ben, from school and was driving along the busy dual carriageway near Colchester when she crashed into the central reservation on the A120.

Travelling at around 60 miles per hour, she suddenly went into a seizure.

She blacked out and began shaking with her hands still gripped tight on the wheel, meaning the car was rapidly slipping out of control.

Ms Smith said: “The next two to three minutes of Ben’s quick-thinking saved our lives.

“I have never had a seizure before so Ben had no idea what these symptoms meant or what to expect or do to help.

“But, nonetheless, as soon as he started realising that I was unresponsive and the car was driving erratically and fast down the A120 with other drivers’ safety in our hands, he knew he had to act fast.

“We were in the left hand lane and initially swerved into the right hand lane and crashed into the central reservation, scraping along it.

“It was at this point that my son realised things would get much worse if he didn’t take control.”

Incredibly, youngster Ben lent over his paralysed mum, grabbed the steering wheel and put the car’s hazard lights on.

Ms Smith said: “He steered our car to the other side of the road, from the central reservation to the hard shoulder, to safety and signalled for help.

“He grabbed my phone to try to call the emergency services but it was at this moment that another car stopped and helped him.

“Ben was able to tell his name, my name and our full home address to the car that stopped to help us.

“Meanwhile, I was still having my seizure and unaware of anything going on.”

Ms Smith came around after the seizure after what she believes was between five and ten minutes.

She said she was bursting with pride at her son’s swift and mature actions, without which she believes both of them, and potentially other road users, would have been killed.

She added: “I’m happy and grateful to say that both of us somehow got out of this untouched and unharmed because of my son’s actions.

“We were on a busy and fast dual carriageway. I hate to think how it would’ve ended if I was in that car on my own.

“It could’ve turned out so much worse.

“My son is my hero and I truly think he deserves recognition for his bravery and quick-thinking.”

Emergency services were called to the scene and also heaped praise on Ben’s amazing actions.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 3.48pm on Monday to reports of a medical incident on the A120, near the A1232 slip road.

“We sent an ambulance and rapid response vehicle to the scene.

“One patient was taken to Colchester General Hospital for further treatment.”