Hero cops who stopped car travelling in wrong direction on motorway set for bravery awards ceremony in London

Sergeant Kully Singh and PC Stacey Hegenbarth will attend the Bravery Awards this Thursday (July 10), a London ceremony recognising outstanding acts of courage by officers from across England and Wales.

The pair received a West Mercia Police reward earlier this year for their quick-thinking handling of a critical incident on the M5 motorway last July.

Called to reports of a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction down the southbound carriageway, the officers faced an extremely dangerous and difficult task in bringing the situation to a halt without harming surrounding traffic.

Racing to the scene near Droitwich Spa, the pair helped implement a rolling road closure just after Junction 5 at Wychbold, while colleagues moved ahead into the sterile area created to try to intercept the vehicle.

But the car, being driven recklessly at speed, made it past the front line of officers, putting the two officers in the direct path as the final barrier.

PC Hegenbarth said: “I remember that feeling of sickness in my stomach as we waited, knowing what we had to do."

Sergeant Singh said: “As the car approached, I began to move our car horizontally across the carriageway and I just had to stay focused on what I would do when the suspect arrived.

“I just had to do and not think. There was public traffic just a few metres behind us, and I knew if I thought rather than did, people would get hurt.”

The impact was near head-on, targeted toward the driver’s side in a calculated manoeuvre to disable the vehicle by ‘taking out one of the driving wheels’.

PC Hegenbarth said: “I think I lost consciousness for a few seconds, and by the time I came around, Kully had already left our car. 

"By the time I got out, the offender was in handcuffs.”

The crash left both officers with severe whiplash and PC Hegenbarth with a concussion and abdominal bruising.

Thanks to their decisive actions, these injuries were the extent of the incident’s consequences, as multiple lives were potentially saved within the traffic that sat only metres behind the pair’s protection.

West Mercia Police Federation secretary Steve Butler said: “As the Bravery Awards take place this week, I want to wish Kully and Stacey the best of luck for what should be a very enjoyable and proud day.

“Being at the ceremony as nominees is a fantastic achievement, and something they undoubtedly deserve for their exceptional actions on the motorway last summer.

“It takes a special kind of courage to face down such a dangerous situation, and they did so with incredible skill and resolve, risking their own lives for the sake of the public.

“On behalf of the federation, I want to remind them both how proud we are of them as officers and as people, and I hope they have a lovely time down in London this week.” 

Sgt Singh and PC Hegenbarth will attend the Bravery Awards ceremony accompanied by family.