Boy steers stricken dad to safety

PEABODY, Mass. -- A 12-year-old boy steered his family's car to safety along Interstate 95 after his father suffered what appeared to be a seizure while driving, then took his younger sister to safety behind a guardrail while waiting for help, state police said.

The boy, from Dracut, Mass., took the wheel Saturday, steering it into a southbound breakdown lane in Peabody and applying the brakes, troopers said.

Using his dad's cellphone, he told the 911 dispatcher that his father was having a seizure while driving on the highway, state police said. He didn't know where he was or what road he was on, but was able to describe landmarks. The location was narrowed to Peabody, about 20 miles north of Boston, by tracking the cellphone signal.

State police say the search was difficult because there are several highways in the area, but troopers found the family shortly after the boy called 911.

The father, who was unconscious, was taken to a local clinic and was reported to be in good condition.

"The Massachusetts state police want to commend the quick thinking and courageous actions of this young man," the agency said in a statement.

Authorities haven't disclosed the names of the boy or his father. -- AP