Charley Cullen saved his grandfather’s life by taking control of his car when he blacked out at the wheel.
Seventy-nine-year-old Finn fell unconscious as the car hit 117km and Charley quickly swung into action, saying he “grabbed hold of the wheel and pulled it back out onto the road”.
He added: “We met a few cars going by. I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other trying to wake papa (Finn)”.
Brave Charley managed to get the car across the road without meeting any oncoming traffic but it hit the wall as Charley went to turn at Slane.
The 11-year-old boy, who fractured his skull in the accident, then pulled his grandfather from the car and woke him up before helping him the 50 yards to his house.
Finn, who had one foot on the accelerator when he blacked out meaning the car was still travelling at 73mph, said he doesn’t know why he blacked out but that it is a miracle both of them are alive.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Brenda Donohue, Charley said: “The only way I had any experience was the Grand Theft Auto game. My main thing wasn’t worrying about the car or that – the main thing was to wake papa up”.
FAI boss John Delaney was touched by Charley’s act of bravery and said: “It’s such a wonderful story – we want to invite Charley, his grandad and members of the family to watch Ireland at a game of his choice”.
Charley was both dumbstruck and delighted by the invitation saying: “You don’t know how much this means to me – it means the world”.
