An 11-year-old boy has said that he believes Grand Theft Auto helped save him and his grandfather from dying in a car crash, as he “learnt how to steer” by playing the 18+ rated game.
Charlie Cullen from Co. Meath, Ireland, found himself suddenly having to take control of his grandfather Finn Cullen’s vehicle when the 70-year-old suffered a blackout while at the wheel. Charlie, initially thinking that his grandfather was playing an April Fool’s joke seeing as how the almost fatal accident took place on April 1st, quickly realized the severity of the situation and took control of the vehicle, which was traveling at 70 kilometers per hour.
With his grandfather’s foot stuck on the accelerator, Charlie explained how he saved both of their lives to the Irish Independent. The 11-year-old said: “I brought the car back onto the road, I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other trying to wake Papa up. The main thing was to wake him up.”
Charlie explained that he managed to keep a cool head due to his time spent playing Rockstar’s open-world game. He said: “I didn’t panic because I knew how to steer a bit from Grand Theft Auto.”
The car, still traveling at 70km/h, eventually slammed into the side of Slane Castle, flipping through the air and landing on the other side of the road. Charlie pulled himself through a broken window, and then proceeded to rescue his grandfather from the wreckage.
While this near-tragedy is hardly a reason for young children to be playing violent video games, it’s certainly refreshing to hear a story regarding video games in the media that doesn’t involve 18-rated games being blamed for all the ills of the world. Well done, Charlie, and we hope your efforts are rewarded with a 3DS game, and not a copy of Wolfenstein: The New Order.
