Hero coach passenger saves lives of 25 people when driver collapses
A brave coach passenger saved the lives of 25 people when the driver suddenly collapsed at the steering wheel.
Marie Gumpert leapt into action after the driver of the vehicle carrying US exchange students passed out while on the M25 motorway. The student liaison officer rushed to the front of the Mercedes Benz coach and grabbed the wheel - before safely bringing it to a halt on the hard shoulder.
Police who attended the scene of the incident said that Marie's actions undoubtedly saved lives, and on Tuesday she was awarded the Chief Constable's Commendation award for her quick-thinking. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "Chief Constable Jason Hogg has awarded a member of the public for saving a coach full of people on the M25 in Buckinghamshire after the driver passed out.
Chief Constable Jason Hogg awarded Marie Gumpert a Commendation award (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)
"Chief Constable Hogg presented Marie Gumpert with a commendation for her quick-thinking to bring the vehicle to a safe stop and avoid hitting any other vehicles in 2022."
Receiving the commendation was an overwhelming honour, Marie said, adding: "This award will forever remind me of the collective strength displayed during such a critical moment as well as the impact we can have when we decide to take action in the face of danger. I am deeply humbled to receive this award, grateful for the support of the community, and inspired by the resilience of the passengers."
The police spokesman said: "Just before 9am on September 4 2022, the driver of a Mercedes-Benz coach suffered a medical episode while taking a group of 25 American exchange students to their accommodation in London. Marie, the student liaison officer, noticed the driver had passed out and was unresponsive, so she took the steering wheel and brought the coach to a safe stop.
"The coach veered across three lanes of the motorway before hitting the central reservation and coming to a stop on the hard shoulder near junction 14 for the M4, but no other vehicles were hit. The driver sadly died at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics. Six passengers on the coach, four women in their late teens and two teenage girls, suffered minor injuries from the windows smashing during the impact with the central reservation, but did not require hospital treatment."
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Detective Chief Inspector Michael Bettington, head of the Roads Policing Unit, said: "There is no doubt that Marie's quick thinking, actions and intervention, along with other passengers, directly contributed to the safe conclusion of this awful incident. If Marie had not done what she did, I have no doubt in my mind that there would have been multiple casualties or worse. Her actions were selfless and commendable."
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