Apple Watch’s fall detection feature could save elderly man hit by car

Apple introduced fall detection for Apple Watch in 2018, coinciding with the release of Apple Watch Series 4. Since its launch, the feature has been gaining attention for its life-saving capabilities.

The feature once again proved its effectiveness, playing a major role in saving an 82-year-old man in the UK who was hit by a car. According to the Shropshire Star (via AppleInsider), the old man received an Apple Watch as a Christmas present, and it proved to be instrumental in his life-saving ordeal.

The incident occurred on January 19, 2024. At a roundabout in Kidderminster, England, Tony Jauncey was crossing the road when he was hit by a driver in the wrong lane. The impact left the man with a broken collarbone, broken ribs and bruises. Immediately after the collision, his Apple Watch alerted emergency services.

“I was walking back to my car at Aldi and I was crossing the street when I heard a loud bang,” Tony Joshi recalled of the incident. “The next thing I saw was me,” he continued. The bumper of the car in front of me…I was lying on the road and I couldn’t move.”

Jauncey recalled that his Apple Watch detected the fall and asked if he wanted to call emergency services. Although he had the option to cancel, he chose to leave the alert intact and let it automatically place a call to authorities.