Quick thinking and bravery not only earned 12-year-old Kassidy Gill a Civilian Life Saving Award, it likely helped her save the lives of two loved ones.
In a special ceremony on Wednesday, the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office awarded Kassidy for her bravery and heroic actions during an incident earlier this summer in which she guided the family car to safety after her father suffered a seizure.
On July 28, the BCSO said Deputy David Newman was dispatched to 5938 FM 535 in Cedar Creek, Texas, where he found Kassidy and her 4-year-old sister, Kristen, who said they had just been picked up by their father, Christopher. Kassidy stated that he was driving them to their home when he began to have a seizure, bleeding from his nose and mouth while losing consciousness and control of their vehicle.
Kassidy reported that she was scared and didn't know what to do, but she noticed an open field to her left, grabbed the steering wheel and guided the vehicle in that direction. Deputy Newman confirmed that the Gills' vehicle steered across the oncoming lane of traffic into the open field, veered back toward the roadway and narrowly missed several trees and a home before coming to a stop in the front yard of another residence.
The BCSO said that once the vehicle was stopped, Kassidy dialed 911 for help. Her father was treated on scene and released with non-life-threatening injures. Both Kassidy and Kristen remained in their seatbelts during the incident and sustained no injuries, the sheriff's office said.
Officers added that due to Kassidy's quick thinking and brave decision to take control of the vehicle, the Gills were all able to avoid serious injuries and possibly loss of life.
