A trucker has an Iowa DOT officer to thank for placing him out-of-service… and for saving his life.
Driver Jerald Kloppenborg was passing through a weigh station near Cedar Rapids with his wife in the passenger seat when a DOT officer flagged his truck for inspection. The officer, Sergeant Jeff Jones, placed Kloppenborg out of service for a vehicle violation and went back inside.
During an interview, Kloppenborg recounted the next few moments.
“I looked over at [my wife] and said ‘honey, I don’t feel so good,’” said Kloppenborg. “And she said I dropped my phone and flopped down on the steering wheel.”
Kloppenborg’s wife tried to rouse him, but when she couldn’t, ran inside to get the trooper. Jones called an ambulance, grabbed his defibrillator, and ran back out to the truck. When he wasn’t able to pull Kloppenborg down out of the vehicle, he laid him down between the seats in the cab.
Then he spent the next 10 minutes or so administering CPR and using the defibrillator to try and keep Kloppenborg alive. By that time, his coworkers had arrived to help, followed shortly by first responders. Together they were able to pull Kloppenborg out of his truck, onto the ground, and finally into an ambulance.
After waking up in a local hospital, doctors told Kloppenborg that he had had a heart attack.
“They found out that three of my arteries were blocked,” Kloppenborg said during an interview. “And they decided while there were in there they’d just do all four of them and be done with it.”
Jones was credited with helping to save the driver’s life and has been honored by the Red Cross as a 2018 Hero of the Heartland.
Source: whotv, whoradio, wcfcourier, youtube
Image Source: Red Cross Youtube
Stephen Rodgers says
Well done sir
Mark says
I know this might be obvious for such a brilliant, enlightened guy like you Joe, but how about you just click the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of the emails that you don’t want anymore? Moron…
Proverbs 16:9 says
You guys are funny.
Iriemonarch says
Dude must have been huge if they couldn’t get him out of the seat initially. Thanks to smokey for being on point.
JEREMY HERRING says
A lot of them are… You see them waddling across the parking lot or sometimes struggling to hoist themselves into their own cabs and wonder how they got a medical card or how long before they have a coronary episode behind the wheel and cause a deadly accident. It’s a cruel irony that the trucker’s lifestyle is so unhealthy but it’s that tendency towards obesity and heart disease that costs so many their career.
Charles Ball says
I have never seen someone that looks like your description.
Donald says
Bull corn. Open your eyes
SnowWalker says
Many OTRs live on grease laden junk foods and nothing else. I had a partner many years ago who couldn’t get enough KFC into his belly to satisfy himself. (he weighed a bit more than 300 lbs when we partnered) We both knew where every KFC outlet was in all most every state and along the Trans Canada Highway . He died in his rig (a K100) somewhere in Colorado from a massive heart attack: or from being turned into a pancake. He and his load piled head on into a rock face.
Trucker's Wife says
That must have been really scary for his wife. Good job, trooper.
J Carter says
Truck Stops…
Junk-food kingdoms and fast food.
It’s just this side of impossible to eat right while you’re on the road.
Josh says
You can run a legit mini fridge off of one of those little 300 watt inverters that you can plug into a cigarette lighter port.
Makes it a lot easier to eat better (and cheaper!)
R.J. says
Man, you got that right ! ! !
All that fried, salty and sugary cr@p. I stay away from all of it;
especially the soda.
I have three cassarole dishes (veggies mostly) that fit in my LARGE coleman 12v cooler, between the seats and covered with a blanket so it doesn’t work too hard.
It takes a week to eat one. three weeks for all, then its back home
for a break and refill.
I’m 60+ y/o and not what I once was but can still do the job safely and pass the physical.
Dr. Thompson’s, “Glycemic Load Diet” is a MUST read for any trucker.
A copy should be given during truck driving school.
So much we know now, wasnt known 40 years ago or even 10.
R.J. says
Give Dr. Rob Thompson’s, “Glycemic Load Diet” a quick read.
A dietician includes recipes and meals in the back.
The word “Diabetic” is in the title but you don’t have to be a diabetic
to benefit from the book. ALL truckers are “Pre-Diabetic”.
R.J. says
I obtained a large 12V Coleman cooler from Walmart.
It fits between the seats nicely. I fold a blanket on top so it
doesnt work too hard.
I bring various cassaroles, mostly veggies, with me that last a couple weeks.
Dr. Thompson’s, “Glycemic Load Diet” is a small book that includes recipes and meals by a dietician.
Because of our job, ALL truckers are considered “pre-diabetic”.
Jumel Foster says
I eat right on the road. Bunch of excuses, you can always stop at a krogers and Walmart and get fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s just not most Truckers preference.
Robert says
It’s not the truckstops fault people don’t eat healthy and fast food joints have salads too. If you don’t take care of yourself whose fault is that?
William Finney says
Really! Grow up!!!
DJ says
Well done trooper, well done.
Lucas says
He had a heart attack because he got called around back of the scale, and got put out of service.
Jude says
With three blocked arteries he was a time bomb waiting to be set off. It could have been a car jumping in front of him and hitting the brakes (as rarely as that happens) or a shipper who wasn’t ready at the appointment time. tick, tick …….BOOM!
Mark Condrey says
Joe…. as others have noted click on the “Unsubscribe” button at the bottom of the page and please remember that not everyone is impressed with your juvenile antics. Shame on you sir.
Reuben Titus says
yes, excellent response on the officer’s part, and he can thank his wife too, if she hadn’t been there the officer would have found him dead at the wheel later. As for eating right, it’s just up to our choices. I found I could eat healthy if I tried. Subway is everywhere and a sub sandwich with all vegetables is healthy enough, I’d get a ft long and eat half for breakfast and half for lunch and a little fruit in the evening, it’s all I needed. I find if I eat light I’d stay alert to drive all day and not need caffeine either. Eat too heavy it pulls blood away from the brain and causes drowsiness for awhile. Appetite clammers for more, but have to restrict it severely when not getting much physical work in order to feel good and stay healthy.
Richard H Jones says
God knows exactly what he is doing!!! Nothing happens by chance or coincidence. Nothing.
Poopertrooper says
Good way to spin this. Guy probably had a heart attack thinking about the mobile service bill that was coming, the ticket, and lastly the impact on his score. I suggest the trooper caused the heart attack.
Nicolas D. says
Sure, the officer clogged his 3 arteries with arcane DOT magic…
How about he was one of those 300 lb drivers (that couldn’t be hoisted down his truck) that was just a rolling timebomb?
Anthony says
Well done troopers…Thanks !!!!
Ralphie eigu. says
They need to more strict with medicals, raise the fee so it includes mandatory ekg or some type of heart sono. Even “fit” people can have heart attack
Charlie says
Please don’t give them any more ideas. We have enough on our plate now.
Charles Ball says
I think they should do away with the medical requirements. Keeps too many good drivers away.
Douglas Kirk says
So what good would it do? People in cars have medical issues all the time and nobody wrings their hands over it
Tammy Pack says
Stores like this is why I always read your emails . Thank you
David Adams says
DOT officer gave him a heart attack he an Iowa should be sued
Douglas Kirk says
I call b.s. on your blanket statement about pre-diabetic drivers….how could you possibly know? Are you the same guy that thinks 80 million Americans are diabetic without knowing it? Who comes up with this garbage? I would wager that the percentage of any particular ailment is about the same in drivers as in the general population
Ba says
they need to do away with the sleep apnea crap. I believe they are confusing narcolepsy for sleep apnea
Older than dirt says
Let’s be clear here, the VEHICLE was placed OOS, not the DRIVER
restlesdon says
Many thanks to then trooper. Thanks for your great training.
restlesdon
Ken says
Yeah, and there are far too many truck stops that cater to the fast food franchises on their property, or in their buildings just to turn more of a profit. That somehow should be addressed, or limited in someway like smoking.
Robert says
Fast food joints have salads now.