An Illinois man who suffered a heart attack while taking his CDL road test owes his life to the quick action of the examiner in the passenger seat.
Sudden Heart Attack Strikes During CDL Road Exam
According to reports, Brian Carrier of Wyoming, Illinois, was finishing up his CDL road test and making a turn on I-474 westbound when he had a heart attack and slumped over the wheel.
After apparently getting the truck safely stopped, the examiner, Jim McCabe, checked for a pulse and then sprung into action when he couldn’t find one.
Examiner Saves Tester’s Life With CPR
He says that he pushed Carrier upright, called 911, put the phone on speaker, and then began chest compressions on Carrier while he remained in the upright in the driver’s seat.
Carrier’s heart stopped for eight minutes during the heart attack, according to his doctors, but the CPR saved his life.
Carrier was transported to the hospital and underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery. He’s currently in cardio rehab.
McCabe, a retired infantry officer, admitted that it was unusual to do CPR on a person sitting up in the driver’s seat but said, “I think it’s one of those cases where it’s just you’re in the right spot at the right time and just happened to know what to do and just did it.”
Sources:
Central Illinois Proud