A trucker’s selflessness is on display after he had a heart attack while driving, managed to avoid hitting anyone, and then when he was resuscitated by medics immediately asked “Did I hurt anybody?”
Driver Jeff Ronek, who just turned 57 on February 16th, was driving on Iowa Highway 5 when he suffered a heart attack. He was able to guide his truck into the median without hitting anyone before he lost consciousness, and that’s where two medics on their way back to the fire station found him.
Jason Kling, a paramedic, and Kayla Schark, a 19-year-old EMT, stopped to check on the trucker thinking they would find bumps and bruises, and instead found him unconscious in the cab. When Ronek didn’t have a pulse, they pulled him to the ground and 19-year-old Schark started CPR while Kling grabbed a defibrillator.
Kling had to shock Ronek six times before he was able to restart his heart.
According to Schark, despite not even knowing where he was, the first words out of Ronek’s mouth when he regained consciousness were “Did I hurt anybody?”
“The touching thing was he wasn’t concerned about him, he was concerned about if he hurt anybody,” Kling said according to WHOtv. “He kept asking ‘did I hurt anybody?’ And we’re like ‘no’ and so with him being a truck driver we figured out he was afraid that maybe he had run his truck into someone. After all of that, his concern was other people’s well fare [sic], that’s just a great thing.”
Source: desmoinesregister, kcci, whotv, radioiowa, kcrg
My hats off to this lucky Trucker. Back in 1970, one of my Greyhound buddies (during my other life), with a bus load of people, suffered a heart attack while driving on I 95 in Maryland — he managed to pull off at a toll plaza, stop his bus—and die. Never forgot him—he had spoke with me at the NY Port Authority Bus Terminal that he had just been cleared to drive after suffering an earlier episode. He said “I still do not feel right”. He died on his return run from Washington DC. A good man like this man.
This is an old school true professional truck driver. My highest respect to you sir.
one life for 10 is the truck drivers code
I live in IOWA right up the road from where this happened.. My family was going out to eat when we came upon that wreck .. It could of really bad if he wld of went down the hill on to SW9th st … I’m so glad he was alright and the Paramedics was able to save his life….
What a great guy!
I am happy to hear that he didn’t hurt anyone
For many of us, it’s just how we roll. You don’t last in this business if you see 4wheelers as the enemy. They are just ducklings, innocent to the experiences of long time professional truckers.
It’s not what you know you didn’t know that’s dangerous… it’s what you don’t know you didn’t know that’ll get ya.
That’s another one of those selfish truck drivers. Who only care about themselves and not the safety of others. like CSA and other government entities. That keep referring to us as pirates and vagabonds of the highway. No wonder we have such a bad reputation among people
His angels must have gone into overdrive to have him in a spot where he could safely pullover and then EMT’s in the right place to save him.
Prayers that he is doing ok now and can return safely, if possible, to driving once again.
http://www.kcci.com/news/paramedics-returning-to-station-stumble-upon-crash/38143702
Touching video.
This is the kind of driver we should hope to be like. Here is to this mans consideration for others.
Driving OTR can be a miserable experience,the sedentary lifestyle,the food choices or lack thereof,lack of exercise,the stress of the uncertainty,missing the family and at times failing to provide bc there are no miles,in my experience trucking is an ugly,heartless industry,drivers are generally wonderful people,but the industry’s top brass is all about greed,there are no guarantees for the driver except chronic disorders,bad health,divorce, loss of family life.
All of these lead to heart conditions, in the end if you die of a heart attack or whatever,the bank’$/trucking co.’$ only concern will be to get your body out of their truck,I wish there was more concern for the driver’s wellbeing,beyond the lipservice we get from all our greedy masters.
Stay safe & healthy,it s all on you.