Orem police honor 9-year-old girl for helping mother after car crash


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OREM — A 9-year-old Orem girl received a special honor this week for coming to the rescue of her mother after a car crash.

Lamar Alghamdi and her mother were on their way to school last week when their car was hit from behind. The impact caused her mother to faint.

“I thought she had passed away,” Lamar said.

Lamar held her mother until Orem Police Officer Steve Norman arrived at the scene.

“I could tell the vehicle had been hit pretty hard from behind,” he said. “You could see the fear in Lamar’s face. She was really concerned about her mom and how she was being taken care of.”

Lamar and her mother were still in shock.

“She ran over to me, buried her head in my chest, grabbed a hold of me and was kind of crying,” Norman said. “Kind of broke my heart at that point. Been on the job 15 years and never had that experience with a little kid like that.”

As Norman was talking to Lamar, her mother collapsed again. As they waited for paramedics to arrive, Lamar, who is diabetic, jumped into action.


“When her mom collapsed, she broke out her own insulin kit and started checking her mom’s blood sugar. For that, the Orem Police Department is going to present her with this certificate of recognition for her heroics." -Officer Steve Norman, Orem Police Department

“I decided to get my meter out and check her blood, and it was 98,” she said. “I took my juice out to give her a drink.”

While Lamar’s mother’s blood sugar was just fine, the juice from the lunch box helped her begin to recover. Tuesday, Norman showed up in Lamar’s fourth grade classroom at Vineyard Elementary to honor her for her bravery.

“When her mom collapsed, she broke out her own insulin kit and started checking her mom’s blood sugar,” Norman said. “For that, the Orem Police Department is going to present her with this certificate of recognition for her heroics.”

For Lamar, the best part was having her mother in the audience when she received her award.

“It warms your heart to go and give an award like this in front of all her peers at school,” Norman said. “She will never forget that, and I won’t as well.”

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