(AP) — A Mississippi police officer says fast-thinking bystanders helped save a woman who passed out behind the wheel of a moving car.
Vicksburg police officer Matthew Barnes told WJTV-TV he was the first officer on the scene after motorists reported a driver swerving erratically in the road. Barnes says he found a woman passed out from an apparent medical emergency in the driver’s seat.
The car was locked and still rolling. Barnes says a bystander gave him a hammer from her car that he used to smash a rear window and open the door while other citizens helped hold the vehicle steady. Barnes shifted the car into park and then helped get the driver out safely.
He said if not for the help from bystanders, the successful rescue could have turned out very differently.
“It’s awesome to see right now, especially with the times that’s going on, to know that people are willing to jump into action and risk themselves to help somebody else,” Barnes said.