Genna Guibord was in the right place at the right time to save the life of a suicidal woman, and possibly the lives of innocent motorists, on a Wednesday night last year.
The 27-year-old was among those honored for heroic actions and dedication to public safety at the Novi Police and Fire Awards last week.
Guibord, a Livonia resident, had just left her Dale Carnegie training class — one ironically intended to help students learn how to negotiate and make a positive impact on people — near Walsh College in Novi on Nov. 28. The class had ended later than normal, putting her northbound on Meadowbrook Road, at the Interstate 96 bridge, at about 9:45 p.m.
She was on the phone when she saw a southbound motorist brake hard. Guibord looked and slammed on her own brakes as she saw a young woman over the railing, hanging on, only her pom-pom from the top of her winter hat still on the safe side of the bridge.