Highways are dangerous places. You never know how others will respond and at the speeds people are traveling, a small mistake can spell disaster. For one woman, the highway almost cost her her life if it wasn’t for one brave man.
Henry Temmermans is a Nunspeet, Netherlands, resident who recently did something incredible.
Temmermans was driving home on the A28 (a highway in his region) on a Friday afternoon. He was mostly free for the weekend, save for a few Microsoft Teams meetings he had to look through when he got home.
While lost in thought, he happened to look over and see a car driving erratically.
“I didn’t hesitate for a moment. I had to do something.” – GLD
When he looked over, he saw that a woman in the car near him didn’t seem to be doing ok. In fact, the woman looked unconscious.
“What I saw was not good. It was clear that the lady was no longer conscious.” – GLD
In a highspeed situation like this, acting fast is key.
Car accidents can happen in an instant. Well, two instances to be exact:
“According to studies from various automobile safety organizations, it can take just two seconds for an accident to occur when a driver takes their eyes off the road. In fact, data suggests that the chances of getting into an accident can double when your eyes are off the road for more than just these two seconds.”
Thankfully, Temmermans was ready to act quickly.
Speeding up, he got in front of the veering car.
Looking ahead, he knew that the guardrail wasn’t going to stop the unconscious woman’s car. He hit the gas, hoping to get in front of her. When he finally got in front of her, he slowed down, allowing the woman to crash into his rear, slowing her down.
The maneuver was a risky one.
If he was wrong, it could send both of their cars tumbling down the highway at crazy speeds. Thankfully, he was right. They both slowed to a halt after they collided. The trick allowed him to “catch” the woman before she bounced back into the highway, potentially hurting many more.
When he got out of the cat to check on the woman, it was clear she was in really bad shape.
“I saw that she had vomited. I still felt a heartbeat in her neck, so that reassured me.” Henry tries everything to make her come around. “I still called her: ‘Wake up, what happened?’ That helped after about two minutes.” – GLD, translated to English
What’s even crazier is that the woman wasn’t a stranger, but an acquaintance from 25 years ago! Later on, the woman and her daughter reached out to Henry to let him know she was alright, save a few busted ribs. All in all, things could have been a whole lot worse if he didn’t step in like he did.
“I see it on social media. People say they are proud of me, call me a hero. But I don’t see myself that way. You are obliged to help people in need. I did what I had to do. That others that maybe wouldn’t is up to them.” – GLD, translated to English
Check out a video of the accident below!
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