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Video: Maine trooper helps rescue driver who overdosed

The trooper found the driver unresponsive after pulling him over on the highway

By David Hench
Portland Press Herald

PORTLAND, Maine — A Maine State Police trooper is being credited with helping to save the life of a driver he pulled over who was overdosing on heroin, and the traffic stop could have prevented a crash as well.

Trooper Douglas Cropper pulled over a Volkswagen Jetta about 6:15 a.m. Friday on the Fore River Bridge on Interstate 295 southbound in Portland after he spotted it traveling more than 15 mph over the speed limit. Cropper took the license and registration from the male driver – whom police would not identify because of health privacy laws – returned to his cruiser and wrote him a ticket.

When Cropper went back to the car with the ticket, the man’s head was tilted back, his mouth was open and he was unresponsive. A cruiser camera video shows Cropper trying to wake up the man, then dragging him from the car onto the road, where he starts to massage the man’s chest.

Full Story: Maine state trooper helps save life of driver who overdosed