滿眼風光
古今中外事，都付笑談中。
以前記載過美國六齡童跨槍上學、六齡童駕車上學等美國"怪事"，今日又見美國六齡童壯舉--父親開車途中因血糖過低而昏厥，六歲兒挺身而出，克服恐懼、把住方向盤，將老爹和三歲的弟弟帶離危險，直到警察叔叔來幫助將車安全停下。
英文報導是這樣的:
Neb. boy, 6, takes wheel after dad passes out
Sat May 23, 1:19 pm ET
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. A 6-year-old boy grabbed the wheel of his family's pickup truck when his father passed out from low blood sugar, keeping the vehicle from crashing until an officer could bring it to a halt, police said.
Tustin Mains was in the back seat with his 3-year-old brother Sunday when his father, Phillip Mains, slumped over at the wheel, the boy told police. The family had been driving home from a restaurant.
"I remember getting up to about the mall -- that was about 6:45," Mains told The North Platte Telegraph. "The next thing I remember was waking up to the officer and paramedics, and it was 8:15."
Tustin leapt into his father's lap so he could steer and see out the windshield. Mains' foot had slipped off the accelerator, but even at idle the Chevrolet Avalanche was going an estimated 10-15 mph, police said.
The kindergartner steered the truck several blocks, even turning around when he entered a neighborhood he didn't recognize, until he was spotted by police.
North Platte officer Roger Freeze ran up to the moving pickup, reached through an open window and rammed the gearshift into park.
Police Chief Martin Gutschenritter praised his officer and young Tustin.
"I will be issuing him a departmental citation for his quick, professional action on this case. That is also a very special young man. He was able to take quick action when his dad was incapacitated, and we are very proud of him, too," Gutschenritter said.
When he saw his dad "fall asleep," Tustin said, he got scared, then got another fright when officer Freeze appeared at the truck's window.
But when Freeze abruptly stopped the pickup?
"I was just happy," Tustin said.
故事發生地是內布拉斯加North Platte小鎮，父親開的是輛兩排座的Chevrolet Avalanche卡車。熟知美國汽車的都知道，這車不小，六歲孩兒無法夠著刹車(見圖) ，恐怕姚明六歲時也不行。
父親帶孩子去餐館吃完飯往回趕，途中因血糖過底而昏厥(注意: 是passes out，不是passed away)，車要失控誰都害怕，小Tustin當然也怕，但這位"幼兒英雄"竟能臨危不懼，從後排爬到父親的腿上，看清路標控製住方向盤。雖然這時老爹的腳已經鬆離油門，但怠速下的Avalanche也有十到十五英裏的時速，小Tustin 居然將車安全開過幾個街道，還成功拐彎進了一個小區。這時警察叔叔Freeze看到了這輛卡車，趕過來從窗戶裏將齒輪檔位推進停車檔。
事兒趕巧的時候它就那麽軸，在危險中的車火急火了誰都想讓它趕快停下，可扁巧趕過來停車的人名詞就叫Freeze，中文意思正是: 停下，不許動!
老話說"自古英雄出少年"，可六歲孩童尚不具常人意識，老爸昏厥還以為是"睡著了"，感到害怕依然能夠跳上父親腿上(因個兒實在太小)，代父駕車。
小Tustin還一對再對，警察叔叔"不須動"來援救時，竟也知道要如何找著車窗開關並放下車窗，以便能讓"不須動"叔叔叫車子也不須動。
事後警局頭兒說對Freeze要記嘉獎一次，也為小Tustin 感到自豪，謹此而已? -- 又是美國人"平常心對待平常事"使然，但六齡童救父救弟為社區避免災禍，這事體現"美國精神"，感動美利堅。
PS: 小Tustin事件感人至深，刺激記憶，所以下列詞匯應該記住。
1. pickup = 家用開車，常簡寫為UP。
2. pass out = to lose consciousness, 暈倒，昏厥
3. slump over = fall over，倒下
4. paramedics = 救護人員
5. windshield = 擋風玻璃(wind = 風，shield = 擋)
6. incapacitate = 失去(做事)能力
