Girl, 10, grabs wheel when mom blacks out

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BRISBANE, Australia, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- A 10-year-old Australian girl is being hailed as a heroine for taking the wheel of a car and steering it to safety after her mother blacked out while driving.

The parents of Imogen Barkus say the girl reacted quickly Monday while her mother, Peta, 40, drove in Brisbane, with the girl's 3-year-old sister in the back seat, the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported Friday.

Imogen was able to steer the car around other vehicles, power poles and a brick wall for two blocks until her mother's foot finally fell from the gas pedal.

"It was too easy to steer and I almost crashed, but I didn't. The police called me a hero and now every teacher at school knows," Imogen said.

Peta Barkus, who said doctors had not yet determined what caused her to lose consciousness, praised Imogen for her bravery.

"She showed a lot of responsibility for a child her age," she said.