ST. HELENS, Ore. – What do you do if your dad loses consciousness in a speeding big rig and you’re only nine-years-old?

If you're Matthew Lovo Jr., you grab the wheel.

Quickly.

And radio for help.

The boy had been riding with his father in a semi truck pulling two trailers loaded with lumber northbound through St. Helens Tuesday afternoon when Matthew Lovo Sr. suffered a medical emergency, lost consciousness and fell from the driver's seat of the moving truck.

"He made a weird noise and fell down and I'm like, 'Dad, are you joking?' and he wouldn't say anything, so I smacked him and he wasn't," Lovo Jr. said.

Young Matty climbed into the driver’s seat and began steering the truck, which had traveled into oncoming lanes of traffic and struck a power pole, said St. Helens Police Chief Steven Salle.

KGW photo

Matthew Lovo Jr.

The boy steered the truck back into the correct lanes and used the C.B. radio to ask for help. Someone heard his plea and told him to turn off the ignition key, which he did.

Good Samaritan Chases Semi, Jumps In

As that was happening, the semi truck passed St. Helens resident Christopher A. Howard, who was driving southbound into town and noticed a child at the wheel.

“…He saw the semi truck approaching in his lane of travel…Howard said the slowly- moving truck gradually moved back into the northbound lanes,” Salle said.

Howard immediately stopped his car and chased the truck on foot. He soon caught the vehicle, jumped aboard, opened the driver's door and applied the brakes, stopping the truck and blocking both northbound lanes of traffic on U.S. Highway 30, just south of Pittsburg Road.

Lovo Sr. was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital for further treatment. Doctors still don't know what caused Matthew Lovo Sr.'s seizure. He said he won't drive again until they determine the cause.

KGW photo

Matthew Lovo Jr. stands beside the huge big rig he helped stop after his father lost consciousness.

In the meantime, he's bursting with pride for his son.

"He's my hero, without a doubt," the elder Lovo said.

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Police couldn't agree more.

“The St. Helens Police Department would like to congratulate Matthew R. Lovo for his bravery and cool demeanor in the face of this traumatic event,” Salle said. “We would also like to commend and publicly recognize the actions of Christopher A. Howard, whose calm response and quick actions combined into this heroic act that could very possibly have prevented damage to property, injuries or even loss of lives.”

Matty, as he's called by his father, is humble.

"I just did the stuff. I thought... I should just do what my Dad does," he said.

Still, he wouldn't mind a reward; he's asked his father for one thing: a PlayStation to put in the truck.

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His father's response?

"I guess we can now."