A deputy’s quick thinking during a traffic crash saved a man’s life, a Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said.
Police received a call at 11:32 a.m. on April 26th that a car had crashed on SW Boeckman Rd. and SW Laurel Glen St. The caller reported that the driver was unresponsive and may have had a heart attack.
While police rushed to get to the scene, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Eagle grabbed an automated external defibrillator from the Wilsonville Police Department office. Once at the site of the crash, police determined that Richard Adolphson, 80, of West Linn did not have a pulse.
During resuscitation efforts, Eagle used the defibrillator and successfully revived him. A second deputy, John Wildhaber, also did chest compressions on Adolphson.
“This is a great example of the importance of having first responders who are willing to use CPR and an AED,” said Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue spokesman Brian Barker. “Every minute that you delay CPR and defibrillation, the patient’s chance for survival decreases 10 percent.”
Wilsonville Police officers also helped treat Alophson.
After the crash, he was taken to Meridian Park Hospital.
