WINCHESTER, Va. -
An 11 year old Winchester, Virginia boy is being hailed a hero after helping to save his mother's life.
Derek Costello steered his mother, Amy's car off the road when she lost consciousness last month. Then he called 911, getting her the help she needed.
It happened on the night of July 22.
Amy Costello says she wasn't feeling well and asked Derek to come to the hospital with her.
The two were just about a block away when Amy says things suddenly turned dark.
She says, "We were driving just fine, and then something just hit me, and I don't know what it was, I started shaking really bad and sweating profusely."
There was no time to spare, so Derek was forced to take control of the life or death situation. He helped steer the car off to the side of Amherst Street, avoiding a maze of construction cones and barrels.
Derek says, "I had to put it (the car) in park and turn on the emergency lights; then I took my mom's phone and called the ambulance."
On the 911 call, Derek is heard calmly telling the dispatcher where he and his were and what was going on. He also listened to the dispatcher as she told him what to do to help his mom.
Derek says he knew he had to stay calm.
He says, "I tried not to cry, because if I cried and got all nervous, I wouldn't know what to say, so I tried my hardest not to cry."
Am ambulance eventually arrived and took Amy to the hospital.
She says by the time she got there, she had a temperature of 105 degrees and was treated for an unknown virus.
She has since recovered, but says she knows how close a call he had.
She says, "It's difficult hearing the ordeal played out on tape, and hearing Derek trying to stay strong.
"I could just tell in his tone of voice that he was starting to get upset, she says.
"I don't like any of my kids to be fearful of losing their mom, she added."
Amy is proud of Derek, and so is the entire community of Winchester.
The city council plans to give him a citizen commendation award.
Derek, who is in the 6th grade at Daniel Morgan Middle School, says he did what anyone else would have done.
He doesn't consider himself a hero, but his family, friends and community do.
