WYANDOTTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Wyandotte police officers are being praised for saving a man's life. He was passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle. Officers believe he overdosed and was minutes from death.
Police found that man passed out behind the wheel of his car at the intersection of Biddle Avenue and Goddard Road. Officers knew the man needed attention immediately and there was no time to spare.
“He’s lucky that we were there very quickly and the paramedics arrived quickly,” said Wyandotte police chief Brian Zalewski.
Zalewski says his officers took immediate action when they got a call of a car stopped in the road with a man behind the wheel unresponsive.
“Officers tried to get the person to wake up, get the gentleman to acknowledge them being there, completely unresponsive,” he said.
The officers found the man at the intersection of Biddle and Goddard on March 10 just after 1:30 am. Police say the engine was running and the vehicle was in drive.
“His foot was on the break and the car could have started rolling or going forward at any moment,” said Chief Zalewski.
Officers determined the 58-year-old Trenton resident needed attention immediately as the man was struggling to breathe and minutes from death.
“They ended up breaking out the passenger window of the vehicle. The gentleman still did not wake up completely unconscious. So they went from an enforcement mode to a life-saving mode and began CPR they also administered a dose of Narcan,” said Chief Zalewski.
Police and paramedics saved the man’s life. The police chief says his officers did everything right and that’s why the man is alive today.
“This case turned out really good for the officers, they did a great job and it basically saved this man’s life,” said Chief Zalewski.
Police say this was the man’s third operating while intoxicated offense which is a felony.
