Boy, 10, steers his great-grandmother's car to safety after she collapses at the wheel on a highway - and he credits his driving skills to Mario Kart



A 10-year-old boy helped steer his great-grandmother's speeding car safely off the highway when she had a minor heart attack and collapsed at the wheel.

Gryffin Sanders of Colorado grabbed the wheel of the Buick sedan, which was traveling at about 60 miles per hour, when his grandmother - whom he calls 'Grandma Great' - suddenly stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and passed out.

His 4-year-old little brother was in the backseat.



Gryffin Sanders, right, helped steer a car to safety when his great-grandmother (center) collapsed at the wheel

Sanders credited the game Mario Kart and his experience driving go-Karts for his ability to steer the car to safety.

'My Grandma Great was talking about some of the wildlife and stuff about the Great Plains when she passed out in the middle of a sentence,' Sanders told ABCNews.com .

The boys were riding with their great-grandmother, Darlene Nestor, from Cheyenne Wells to Golden on July 26.

When Nestor passed out, he shook her to try to wake her and she wasn't responding.

That's when he took the wheel.

'I could see over the dashboard while I was driving, so I had an idea of where I was driving into. I couldn’t get to the brakes because my Grandma Great was in the way,' Sanders said.



Sanders credited the game Mario Kart and his experience driving go-Karts for his ability to steer the car to safety. Gryffin Sanders

He drove the car to the shoulder and into some mud just as Wells' foot fell off the gas pedal, bringing the car to a stop.

Nestor said she was proud of her great-grandchild.

'I’m so proud of him that he saved so many lives that day even in oncoming traffic,' she said. 'He’s always been a great kid.'

Sanders thanked a couple that stopped on the side of the road and helped them by calling 911.

Nestor was taken to the hospital and is recovering from the heart attack.



Sanders said he doesn't expect to be hailed as a hero after saving the day.