LIFESAVER Luke Turner has once again been hailed a hero after winning the bravery category in the National Council Worker of the Year awards.
The fearless 19-year-old, formerly a passenger services assistant for Hillingdon Council, was also named Citizen of Courage in the Gazette and Uxbridge College Local Hero Awards this year.
Luke, of Southbourne Gardens, Eastcote, was personally responsible for saving the lives of two elderly passengers and other road users after the driver of the bus they were travelling in suffered a massive heart attack and lost control of the vehicle.
While the bus began to head in the direction of oncoming traffic, courageous Luke grabbed the wheel and steered the bus away from the centre of the busy road, before knocking the bus out of gear and guiding it to safety. The vehicle eventually came to a stop after demolishing 65 feet of fencing.
Luke said: "I am extremely honoured to have been nominated and won this award. I was rather overwhelmed by all the excitement surrounding what I did instinctively.
"I am only glad that I was alert enough at the time to notice that there appeared to be something wrong with the driver and my reaction averted what could have been a tragic outcome for all of us."
Hugh Dunnachie, chief executive of Hillingdon Council, said: "Luke is an excellent example of the many unsung heroes working within councils. He acted above and beyond his job role and we are all very proud of him.
"I would like to thank all residents, local newspaper readers, council staff and everyone else who voted for Luke and helped him get the recognition he deserves."
Of 350 entries this year, 41 finalists from local councils across Britain battled it out to win a prestigious award.
As well as the bravery category, awards were handed out for innovation, leadership, care and commitment, lifetime service, team of the year, and a special category, flood response, was also added to reflect the extraordinary events of last year.
