WICHITA, Kansas — Wichita police say a man is lucky to be alive after a crash left him unconscious and not breathing in midtown Wichita Wednesday afternoon.
The crash happened just after noon at 11th and Wabash when police say the driver of a truck going north on Wabash ran the stop sign at 11th St. and crashed into a westbound car driven by a 27-year-old man. The impact caused the car to spin and hit a utility pole, which caused to roll on to its top. A 50-year-old man sitting in the back seat was left trapped and hanging upside down.
An off-duty Butler County EMT arrived just after the crash, called 911 and observed the man was not breathing. When Sedgwick County EMS arrived on scene, they believed the man to be dead. However, an EMT was able to get into the wrecked car and adjust the man’s head.
“It appears that his neck had been bent enough that it caused his airway to close and he couldn’t breathe,” said Lt. Doug Nolte with the Wichita Police Department.
Firefighters had the ‘jaws of life’ ready to get the man out from the back seat of the car.
“He was very lucky that fire had the right equipment exactly at the right time and we were right there as the extrication was taking place to take care of that airway,” said LT. Tom Seyfert with Sedgwick County EMS.
Lt. Seyfert was the paramedic who opened the man’s airway, allowing him to breathe on his own.
“He did take a little breath on his own and at that point we assisted him for a short period of time and then he began breathing all on his own and we were able to take him to the hospital very quickly,” said Lt. Seyfert.
The man was rushed to Via Christi on St. Francis in critical condition, but was upgraded to serious condition a short time later.
“When detectives got to the hospital, they were able to take out the breathing tube and he was talking and alert,” Lt. Nolte said.
It’s a remarkable recovery after being without oxygen for several minutes. Paramedics say it takes only six minutes without air for brain death to occur. But the quick thinking of everyone involved saved the man’s life.
“Outstanding job all the way around,” said Lt. Seyfert.
The driver of the truck and car were not seriously injured. The crash is still under investigation. So far there have been no arrests in the case.
Republished with permission from KSN TV