Man jumps into moving vehicle to avert accident

ATLANTA – A man jumped into an out-of-control Jeep as it drifted across lanes of traffic on a busy Columbus, Ga., street and steered the vehicle safely into a guardrail after its driver suffered a seizure, authorities said.

Christopher Sanders said he blacked out on his way home from work Aug. 25 in Columbus, a west Georgia city. Police later told him his Jeep Cherokee was weaving through fast-moving traffic and had slowed dangerously on a busy parkway before the good Samaritan came to the rescue.

With other cars whizzing past at around 65 mph, Sanders’ Jeep had slowed to between 10 and 15 mph when help came, according to Sanders. Police said Michael Perry parked his own vehicle and began running after Sanders’ Jeep, yanked open the passenger door, climbed in and then guided it into the guardrail.

Sanders, 27, said he began having seizures about 10 years ago, but never experienced one while driving.

Sanders said Perry banged up his leg after it got caught between the Jeep and the guardrail, but neither man was seriously harmed.

“It could have gone very, very badly,” said Columbus police Sgt. Mark Graydon. “It was unbelievable. Everything worked right, and it was pretty miraculous.”