Officers rescue panicked pregnant woman in out-of-control car after her brakes failed

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS/Gray News) – An expectant mother in Illinois called 911 in a panic and said her car wouldn’t stop. The deputies are being hailed as heroes for rescuing them from the frightening situation.

Shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, a panicked 911 call came into the Williamson County Dispatch Center. A young woman was on her way to pick up her boyfriend from work when the brakes on her car stopped working, KFVS reports.

911 broadcast: “911. Where is your emergency?”

Caller: “I need help! My brakes won’t stop! My car won’t stop! My brakes don’t work!”

The driver was unable to turn off the car’s engine. She also told the dispatcher that she was pregnant.

Caller: “I’m 20 weeks pregnant. I can’t die today.”

Officers raced to a rural area of ​​the county and found the car on Old Route 13, a road that dead-ends at Crab Orchard Lake. They reported that the brake lights on the driver’s car were visible, but the vehicle did not slow down.

Caller: “I’m trying as hard as I can to get to the break, but it won’t stop.”

Since it was not safe for the woman to continue driving, officers decided to set up a rolling roadblock. Sheriff Jeff Diederich says it “allowed them to get in front of the vehicle, gently apply the brakes and slowly make contact with the front of the out-of-control vehicle and then bring it to a complete stop.”

Even as the rescue occurred, the driver continued to panic and emergency dispatchers intervened to comfort her.

Caller: “I’m going to hit the policeman!” I’m going to hit him! I didn’t mean to!”

Emergency call: “Ma’am, it’s okay. You know.”

The car was reportedly stopped about a quarter mile before reaching the lake.

Diederich says the car was traveling about 30 miles per hour and without the heroics of his deputies, the driver would have plunged into the deep end.

“As we know, the weather is very cold at this time of year. This could have had dire consequences, so I’m very proud of the way Williamson County Sheriff’s Office officers responded, they were able to respond quickly and no one was injured,” he said.

As frightening as the incident was, the sheriff said the driver was not injured. An ambulance crew examined her out of an abundance of caution.

The sheriff’s office said the patrol unit suffered no damage and the out-of-control car sustained only minor damage. The latter vehicle is currently being investigated to determine the cause of the incident.

Copyright 2024 KFVS via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.