A Texas police officer's quick actions saved the life of a motorist who was choking while driving along an interstate last month.
The incident happened Jan. 13 when Mansfield Police Officer Chad Stevens noticed a vehicle traveling in the left lane of Interstate 20 with hazard lights on, the department stated in a social media post. Pulling up behind the vehicle, Stevens got out of his cruiser and saw that the driver was showing signs of distress, coughing as if she was choking and holding her neck.
Stevens immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver on the driver, and he was able to dislodge a piece of gum that was causing her to choke. Stevens' life-saving efforts were captured on his cruiser's dashboard camera.
The driver told police that she began choking when she breathed in quickly after another vehicle had entered her lane.
"Struggling to breathe for several minutes, she was relieved to find an officer nearby to flag down for help," the department stated.
