Troopers Revive Overdose Victim on Hartford Highway [VIDEO]

HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut State Police have released a dashcam video of troopers helping a driver suspected of overdosing on heroin.

On Jan. 16 around 4:43 p.m., troopers from Troop H-Hartford and DOT Service Patrol responded to reports of a disabled motor vehicle in the left shoulder on Interstate 91 northbound at exit 32A in Hartford, Trooper Kelly Grant said.

Upon arrival, troopers and DOT found a small Ford pickup truck stopped against the barrier with the brake lights illuminated. When troopers approached the truck, they found the male operator unresponsive and locked inside with his foot on the brake. The pickup was still running and in drive. Troopers also saw suspected heroin in plain view near the operator, Grant said.

To prevent the truck from launching into traffic if the operator's foot moved from the brake to the gas, DOT pulled the Service Patrol truck in front of the truck to block its path, Grant said.

Troopers banged on the pickup’s window; however, the operator was not responding, so troopers broke out the driver's side window to render aid to the unresponsive man. After breaking the window, troopers reached in and put the pickup truck in park, Grant said.

The operator had a weak pulse and did not appear to be breathing. Troopers believed the operator was suffering from a heroin overdose, so a trooper returned to his cruiser and retrieved his NARCAN kit while another trooper and DOT removed the operator from the truck, placed him on the ground and began life-saving measures, Grant said.

Troopers gave the unresponsive operator a dosage of NARCAN and oxygen. A short time later, the operator
regained consciousness and began talking with first responders. Firefighters and EMS also responded to the scene and transported the operator to the hospital for further evaluation, Grant said.

Upon release from the hospital, the operator, a Florida man, was transported to Troop H-Hartford where he was charged with operating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. He was released after posting $500 bond, and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court Jan. 30, according to Grant.

Photo credit: Shutterstock
Video courtesy of Connecticut State Police