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A Texas man is being hailed a hero for helping to stop an out-of-control vehicle after the driver suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel. Rene Villarreal-Albe and his wife, Andrea Walker, were driving on Interstate 410 in San Antonio last Thursday when they spotted an SUV swerving through traffic and striking a concrete barrier. After realizing that the driver was unconscious, Villarreal-Albe maneuvered his truck ahead of the SUV, gradually slowed until the vehicles’ bumpers were touching, and then carefully brought both vehicles to a safe stop.
Villarreal-Albe says he decided to intervene after seeing the driver was unconscious and worried the situation could harm others. He used the heavy-duty rear bumper on his truck to carefully slow the vehicle. Even though he has no formal training, the tactic he used is similar to a PIT maneuver typically performed by trained law enforcement. Villarreal-Albe says he believed he’d be able to help safely stop the vehicle.
After the vehicles stopped, he attempted to pull the driver from the SUV as a nurse who had stopped at the scene began CPR. A fire department spokesperson says first responders were dispatched for a cardiac arrest and that the driver was breathing and had a pulse when transported to the hospital. Video of the incident recorded by Walker and shared online drew thousands of comments praising Villarreal-Albe, with many calling him a “highway hero.”
Source: WABI TV