Seeing a mother attack her two sons on a dark highway was not what Corporal Joshua Smith expected to find while driving late one night.
He was driving to visit a friend in hospital at 11.30pm, when he noticed a car stopped on the North-South Motorway near Wingfield, South Australia, on August 15, 2022.
"I actually thought it was a flat tyre or a hit-and-run," Corporal Smith said.
Initially, he stopped beside the woman and asked if she needed help, but after getting little response, he started driving away.
"I was like, 'I don't really have time for this', and I started driving, and then something just told me that I needed to stop," he said.
So, he pulled over about 30 metres ahead and walked back towards the vehicle.
It was only when he was close enough that he saw two young boys near the car.
"At first I thought she was a panicked mother trying to provide first aid," Corporal Smith said.
"And then I saw the knife."
What Corporal Smith saw was horrific - a mother stabbing her child.
'I believe if I hadn't stopped when I did, those children wouldn't be here today.'
He told the woman to stop and drop the weapon. Instead, she turned towards him and threatened him.
Corporal Smith immediately grabbed her arm, broke her balance and forced her to the ground before ripping the knife from her hand and throwing it out of reach.
The woman continued trying to attack the boys while she was restrained, but Corporal Smith dragged her further away and pinned her down on the roadside.
With few cars passing at that hour, he said one of the hardest moments was looking down the highway for headlights and hoping somebody would stop.
While holding the woman down, he continued talking to the boys, trying to keep them responsive.
"Can you hear me? Can you get up for me? It's going to be all right," he said.
Eventually, he flagged down a man and explained the situation, getting him to dial 000.
"I then broke information up into steps and he was a great help. Later, I saw him on the news," he said.
Stopping two passing tradies, Corporal Smith used his combat first-aid knowledge to direct them through life-saving treatment for the children.
"The military training just kicked in. You don't really think about it, you just do what needs to be done to keep people alive," he said.
Concerned the boys were going into shock, he instructed the men to place pressure on visible wounds and wrap the children in jumpers to keep them warm until paramedics arrived.
'It's not something you ever expect to see on a quiet drive, but I'm just glad I was able to get them the help they needed.'
The tradies also called 000 while Corporal Smith maintained control of the woman.
"It was mostly just 'act instead of think'," he said.
Police and ambulance crews arrived shortly afterwards, with paramedics taking over treatment of the children while officers arrested the woman.
Corporal Smith remained at the police station until about 3am, giving statements and handing over dash cam footage.
He also provided DNA samples after handling the knife during the incident.
Although the events of that night stayed with him, he said the outcome helped him move forward.
"It's not something you ever expect to see on a quiet drive, but I'm just glad I was able to get them the help they needed," he said.
"The boys were doing all right, from the updates I later received."
Corporal Smith was presented with a civilian Bravery Medal by Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner on May 6, 2026, at Government House in Melbourne.
"I believe if I hadn't stopped when I did, those children wouldn't be here today," he said.
"I just happened to be the right person at the right time."
