Quick thinking by responders saves life of unconscious man
Published 4:45 pm Thursday, March 18, 2021
A man who was suffering from a drug related medical emergency was more than likely saved by the actions of Picayune Police officers and EMS personnel.
Assistant Chief Dustin Moeller said the department received a call from a concerned citizen Wednesday at about noon that a vehicle was at the intersection of East Canal Street and Curran Avenue and the driver appeared to be sleeping. The caller told dispatch that they were unable to wake the man behind the wheel.
Moeller said he arrived at the scene to find the unconscious man behind the wheel and noticed the vehicle was still in drive and the man’s foot was on the brake. The doors to the vehicle were locked.
“It was an accident waiting to happen,” Moeller said.
After trying unsuccessfully to wake the man, Moeller said he decided to break the passenger side window to gain access to the interior of the vehicle so he could put the vehicle in park.
When he got to the man, Moeller said the driver was barely breathing and had a light pulse.
“Had we not gotten there, it probably would have had a different ending,” Moeller said.
Medical personnel with AAA Ambulance Service arrived and provided treatment to the man, who was not arrested at the scene. Moeller said drug paraphernalia was found in the vehicle and it appeared as though the man was suffering from a drug related medical emergency.