Provo Police Officers Credited With Saving Man’s Life After Crash
May 3, 2019, 7:48 PM | Updated: 7:51 pm
PROVO, Utah – Two Provo Police officers are being credited for helping to save the life of a truck driver after he suffered a heart attack and crashed his semi along I-15 on Thursday afternoon.
The emergency situation was captured on one of the officers body cameras as they desperately gave him CPR to try and keep him alive.
“All I know is he wasn’t breathing and he had no pulse,” said Officer Ken Newell in an exclusive interview with KSL TV’s Dan Rascon. “We got to continue CPR and if we don’t keep doing compressions we are going to lose this guy. That’s not what we want.”
Officer Newell just happened to be driving southbound along I-15 in Salt Lake with his wife, who is also a Provo Police officer, when they came upon the accident at about 2700 South. Some good Samaritans had also stopped to help the driver.
Officer Newell radioed for help while his wife immediately started CPR. The two went back and forth until emergency crews arrived.
According to UHP the driver of the semi suffered a heart attack and then crashed his truck up onto a cement barrier. That’s when some drivers stopped and helped pull him out of the semi.
When the Newell’s arrived the man was laying on the ground lifeless. “It was absolutely urgent. If the body is not pumping blood there is no oxygen,” said Officer Newell.
The driver was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition.
This is the fourth time in his 18 year career that Officer Newell says he’s found himself in a situation like this.
In one of those cases he received a life saving award.
He’s grateful to those drivers who also stopped helped the semi driver.
“I think they are amazing. For them to stop, see a need and fill it,” said Officer Newell.
