Cloquet , MN : Motorist suffering heart attack behind the wheel and crashed his pickup truck at U.S. 2 on Thursday , January 22nd 2015

The quick action of three passers-by is being credited with saving the life of a Saginaw, Minn., man who had a heart attack behind the wheel and crashed his pickup truck on U.S. 2 north of Cloquet.

The incident occurred just after 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, according to a Minnesota Department of Public Safety news release.

Wayne Waller, 77, and his passenger, Mae Line, were traveling west in Waller's truck when he lost consciousness and his pickup crashed into some trees along the road.

Three people -- Lacey Silgjord, off-duty Floodwood firefighter Robert Zobel and retired Fredenburg firefighter Mark Toms -- stopped to help, pulling Waller from one of the truck's windows and beginning CPR. Meanwhile, State Patrol Sgt. Scott Parker had arrived. He raced to his squad car to grab his automated external defibrillator.

The trooper shocked Waller with the AED and continued CPR along with Toms. Moments later an unidentified woman arrived, stating she was a nurse. She offered to provide Waller with rescue breaths through a mask until the ambulance arrived.

Waller was taken to Essentia Health-St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, where he was listed in critical condition on Friday afternoon.

Line suffered non-life threatening injuries.

"The quick actions of the trooper and the people who stopped to help saved this man's life," said State Patrol Capt. Steve Stromback.

Authorities are asking the unidentified nurse to contact State Patrol Sgt.

Neil Dickenson at 218-830-0472 so she can be recognized along with the others for her efforts.


source :
Cloquet: Motorist saved after suffering heart attack, crashing