Local police are praising a pair of Good Samaritans for helping defuse a potentially dangerous situation.

Thursday evening, a motorist observed a man slumped over the steering wheel of his car on 1st St. in Winkler. When approaching the vehicle to see if the driver needed assistance the car began to move southbound towards Southview Dr.

Seeing the potential danger to the public, another passing driver positioned his truck in front of the moving car and slowly applied his brakes, using his bumper to force the car to a stop.

"We never want the public to put their own safety at risk however, the citizens who encountered this situation acted appropriately and diligently to stop this vehicle and most certainly prevented a much more serious outcome," Police Chief Ryan Hunt says.

With the car safely stopped, concerned bystanders attempted but were unsuccessful in communicating with the driver through the locked car doors. Fearing a medical emergency the bystanders called 911 and then broke the driver’s side window to tend to the unresponsive male.

The male was breathing and had a pulse, but remained mostly incoherent. The concerned citizens stayed with the male until police officers and paramedics arrived on scene. The male was transported by ambulance to the Boundary Trails Health Centre for observation.

Winkler Police to continue to investigate.