It’s not every day that you see a driver undergo a seizure and lose all control over their vehicle. And even if you did, what would you do?
A dashcam video, from the Illinois police department, shows a driver going through a red light and veering off into an opposite lane at a busy intersection.
While other drivers instinctively moved out of the way of way, 39-year-old Randy Tompkins took immediate action. Randy was driving his truck on the opposite side of the road when he noticed something was wrong with the other driver.
He ended up getting out of his own vehicle and dove headfirst through the open passenger-side window to help the driver and bring the car to a stop. Randy then put two fingers into the driver’s mouth to stop him from swallowing his tongue.
When speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Randy says:
“He had his arms up by his chest. I didn’t know if the guy was gonna push the gas, jerk the wheel or whatever, so I waited as long as I could to back up. Once he got about a half-car length away from me, I parked my truck at an angle and jumped out of my vehicle.”
A statement from the Dixon Police Department thanked Randy for his ‘heroism and for coming to a complete stranger’s aid.’
Not All Have Happy Endings
Unfortunately, not all these stories have happy endings. This past year, a driver named Dorothy Bruns had a seizure at the wheel killing two little children in a Park Slope crosswalk.
She told cops she has multiple sclerosis, seizures, and heart problems. The NYPD revoked her license the day after she ran a red light and fatally collided with 1-year-old Joshua Lew and 4-year-old Abigail Blumenstein. She was held on $75,000 bond and faces 15 years in prison if convicted.
Epilepsy in the U.S
In the U.S., 700,000 licensed drivers have epilepsy. State laws throughout the U.S. permit people with controlled seizures to hold a driver’s license.
Most states specify that a person must be free of seizures for a specific period and provide a statement from a physician confirming that the applicant’s seizures are controlled and that the person will not present an unreasonable risk to public safety. (3)
The only way that motor vehicle authority will know if someone has epilepsy is if the patient reveals it. That’s why physicians advise that patients take their medical condition linked to driving seriously.
Alexandra Finucane, senior legal adviser, Epilepsy Foundation, calls for physicians to report epileptic patients:
“Patients will want to hide it [the fact that they have epilepsy], and that’s when you get a dangerous situation.” (1)
In some states, physicians are required to report their patients. However, not all. For a long time in New York, the law did not require physicians to report if their patients had epilepsy and could be at risk of having a seizure behind the wheel. However, immediately after the Dorothy Bruns tragedy, proposed legislation in New York called for doctors to report drivers who have an impairing ailment. (1)
Losing consciousness behind the wheel isn’t limited to epilepsy: A heart attack or a change in glycemic levels can affect a person’s consciousness. (1)
So What Can You Do If A Driver Loses Consciousness Behind The Wheel?
While there were only a handful of sources online regarding what to do in an unlikely (but likely) scenario like this, we dug deep and found some tips:
1. Call 911 Immediately
2. If the vehicle has a handbrake between the seats, use that first.
3. Lean the driver back
4. Shift the transmission into neutral. That will allow the car to roll to a stop eventually but will let you steer easily.
5. Remove the driver’s foot from the accelerator and begin merging into the lane to the right (make sure to hit the turn signal)
6. Bring the vehicle to a stop.
See More of Randy’s Heroic Moment Here
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