An Indiana State Police trooper saved a 60-year-old man’s life with an automated external defibrillator (AED) after the motorist suffered a heart attack.
On Sunday at around 7:15 p.m., Trooper Arthur Smith was investigating a crash in which an SUV rear-ended a state trooper vehicle at a traffic light, according to ABC 57. The vehicle belonged to another trooper and the incident had taken place in Elkhart County at the intersection of State Road 19 and County Road 26, WSBT reported.
While Smith and the man were discussing paperwork and wrapping up the incident, the motorist clutched his chest and collapsed, according to WSBT.
“It was out of the corner of my eye and I didn’t know what happened,” Smith said. “When I got up to him and saw that he was grabbing his chest and then when he went unresponsive and wasn’t breathing.”
Smith sprung into action as he realized the man was suffering from a heart attack. He bolted to his patrol vehicle to retrieve his AED. All Indiana troopers’ cars are equipped with an AED, according to WOWO.
Smith shocked the man, “which temporarily brought him back,” WSBT reported.
“He tried to lift his head up and then he went unresponsive again,” Smith told the outlet. “I started chest compressions as instructed and shortly after starting those gasped for air he was able to start talking.”
He worked for two minutes and successfully revived the 60-year-old as paramedics raced to the scene, per WSBT.
“Luckily this didn’t happen while he was going down the road driving and hit somebody else,” said Smith. “Luckily we were there and timing is everything in this case.”
Smith explained this was the first time he had saved a life with the device.
“This is the first one and unfortunately it goes the other ways at times. but you train and you do what you can,” said Smith.
Paramedics who arrived on the scene lauded Smith and credited him with saving the motorist’s life, according to WSBT.