Deputy saves choking woman during traffic stop in Indiana
An Indiana sheriff's deputy found himself saving a life when he pulled over a speeding motorist Tuesday morning.
Deputy Austin Wells of the La Porte County Sheriff's Office clocked a 65-year-old woman driving 70 mph on US 421 about 10:30 a.m., a department Facebook post said.
Wells found the woman unable to speak, with a reddish-purple face and blue lips. He asked her if she could breathe and she gestured she couldn't. He pulled her out of the car and gave her the Heimlich maneuver. Four thrusts later, her airway was cleared.
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The woman explained she had been eating honey mustard nuts when she began choking. She fully recovered and did not receive a citation.
Wells has been a patrol deputy for about five months. He graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in June.
“What could very well have ended in tragedy had a great outcome due to Deputy Wells quick action," said a statement from La Porte County Sheriff John Boyd. "We are thankful that the driver was alright following what had to be a scary few moments.”
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