Bryan Jacobs was on his way to a quick lunch at McDonald’s on Jan. 11 when a Chevrolet Blazer in the outside lane of Interstate 35E suddenly veered across his lane in front of him and struck the concrete median barrier.

DRC/David Minton

John Sumner, left, Denton Police Chief Roy Minter, Bryan Jacobs and Mary Ann Bax pose during an award ceremony Wednesday in Denton. Jacobs was recognized for saving Andrea Sumner — John Sumner’s wife and Bax’s daughter — after he noticed her having a seizure while driving on Interstate 35E.

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The sport utility vehicle reared, nearly turning over backward, but righted and scraped down the barrier as it continued at about 45 mph.

Jacobs could see that the driver was slumped over into the passenger seat.

What Jacobs did next is the stuff of action television shows. And he figures that seeing those staged car chases must be where he got the idea for getting the SUV stopped.

Jacobs had never been instructed on pulling in front of an out-of-control vehicle and gradually slowing until both of them stopped. But that’s what he did with his company pickup.

“I must have seen it on TV. She was going straight, not even swerving, and then she suddenly crossed the left lane and hit the barrier,” Jacobs said. “The front of the truck went straight up, where it was almost standing on its end.”

Denton police honored Jacobs on Wednesday for taking control of the bad situation. Chief Roy Minter handed him a citizen commendation, saying that at the very least he prevented more accidents from occurring and possibly saved lives.

“We came to a stop, and she still had her foot on the gas,” Jacobs said. “Her back tires were spinning. Two truckers pulled over and got traffic stopped behind us. Another guy broke out the car window and got the keys out of the ignition.”

In addition to the certificate delivered in front of a room full of officers at the department’s monthly Crime Awareness and Response Evaluation, Jacobs also collected a heartfelt handshake from John Sumner, husband of Andrea Sumner, 25, who was at the wheel of the Blazer that day. And he received a big hug from Mary Ann Bax, Andrea Sumner’s mother.

John Sumner said his wife wasn’t injured in the accident. But a medical examination revealed a startling reason for the seizure she suffered that day that caused her to pass out.

Andrea Sumner had a brain tumor, they learned. She underwent brain surgery and remains in the hospital with expectations of a full recovery.

John Sumner said it could have been far worse if Jacobs had not been there to stop her or if she had passed out in heavy, fast traffic. The accident led to the discovery and removal of the mass in her brain.

“It was a pretty hefty tumor in there,” he said. “She had no symptoms; we had not a clue. We’re very grateful to Bryan, and we were upset about the tumor. But under the circumstances, it couldn’t have been any better.”

John Sumner offered to pay for the damage to Jacobs’ truck, but Jacobs refused, saying that the damage was minor.

Andrea Sumner is operations coordinator at Denton Airport and was driving a city vehicle that day. Airport manager Quentin Hix attended Wednesday’s meeting.

“Andrea was running an errand for the airport when it happened,” Hix said. “The airport board also wants to recognize him, and we’ll probably do that at the board meeting in February.”

Patrol Officer Chris Plank responded to the accident that day and learned that Jacobs had used his truck to stop the out-of-control SUV.

“I’m amazed by how quickly he acted,” Plank said. “It was a pretty brave thing for someone who didn’t know how to do that. He put somebody’s life ahead of his property and his safety. I went right back to the office and wrote a recommendation for him to get an award.”

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .