Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Subdeck in here thanks MY HERO
Emmie saved Lewis being hit to by go an in on-coming bus
A heroic young Airdrie schoolgirl saved a fellow pupil’s life by dragging him back from an on coming bus.
Courageous Emmie Gillooly, 10, leapt into action when she saw oblivious eight- year- old Lewis Sneddon run out onto Glen Road into the large vehicle’s path when the pair were leaving Dunrobin Primary School for the day.
P4 pupil Lewis’ parents have hailed Emmie for “risking her own life” to save their son. But the concerned couple labelled the road outside the kids’ Petersburn school a “death trap” and an “accident waiting to happen”.
Alex Sneddon, Lewis’ dad, witnessed the terrifying incident unfold before his eyes but was “utterly helpless” to prevent his son being struck by the bus.
He told the Advertiser: “Lewis is streetwise but had a bit of an off day as he saw me across the street and his first reaction was to get excited and run out onto the road. “A bus was coming and I saw Emmie pull Lewis back by the coat, stopping him from being hit by the bus, which had to make an emergency stop.
“I was only across the road but was utterly
helpless to do anything
about it; I dare not think what could have happened to Lewis if it wasn’t for Emmie.
“She is a very brave little girl who risked her own life to save our son’s. We put a message out on Facebook to try and track Emmie down to thank her, as we didn’t know who she was, and were contacted by her parents. “We can’t thank her enough for what she did.” Emmie’s proud dad Brian, who was also on hand to see his daughter’s bravery, lauded the P6 youngster’s quick thinking.
He said: “I saw young Lewis step out onto the road with the bus heading in his direction and Emmie just jumped right out and grabbed him.
“It could have been fatal for Lewis and I got a bit of a fright during and after the incident.
“When I got back into the car with Emmie she was saying, ‘I just saved that boy’s life’, and I responded, ‘I know’.
“Emmie was super excited to see the attention her act of heroism received on social media later that day and we were contacted by Lewis’ parents.
“They were extremely appreciative for what Emmie had done and said they will never forget it.”
Both kids’ parents have hit out at traffic congestion on the road leading to and from Dunrobin Primary, which they have labelled a “long-term issue”.
Alex said: “Glen Road is crammed with vehicles and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt; it could have been my son.
“The road is a death trap and a lot of parents aren’t happy about the situation.
“People park on double yellow lines and on both sides of the road, which leads to kids running out between cars.
“A lot of buses, cars and vans go up and down the street and there is no school crossing there.
“I have spoken with the head teacher and she told me she is aware of the issue.
“It’s about time the council took action and put better safety measures in place before it’s too late.”
Brian added: “There are often two buses at a time trying to get up the road and space is very tight.
“Parking spaces are at a premium and this leads to people parking their cars up on the pavement, or on double yellow lines.
“The traffic at the local shops is also really busy, especially when the school is starting and finishing.
“It’s definitely a big worry but, as terrifying as it was, hopefully what happened with Emmie and Lewis will act as a catalyst for change.”
Dunrobin Primary headteacher Eileen Watters said: “We work hard to educate our children on all aspects of road safety with particular emphasis on their own personal responsibilities when it comes to crossing the road.
“Our Junior Road Safety Officers play an active role in the school and encourage pupils to be safe as well as encouraging parents to drive and park considerately when close to our school.
“Thankfully, on this occasion, the quick actions of one of our pupils, Emmie Gillooly, prevented a potentially serious accident, when another pupil stepped into the path of an oncoming vehicle.”