By Greg Welter
Chico Enterprise-Record
CHICO, Calif. — Reports Monday morning of a man in a pickup driving recklessly on roads between Oroville and Chico became a call for medical aid when police learned the motorist was suffering a diabetic episode.
Relief was fortunately as near as the trunk of a California Highway Patrol cruiser, which for years now have carried a non-prescription medication for low blood sugar called InstaGlucose.
When Chico police and the CHP got the pickup driver stopped in the 2700 block of Eaton Road, he was given multiple doses of the liquid and appeared to be recovering as an ambulance crew arrived.
Authorities said the man, from Oroville, was disoriented, and actually reportedly thought he was in Forest Ranch. While driving on Cohasset Road and East Lassen Avenue, witnesses reported he narrowly avoided hitting guard rails and other vehicles.
The CHP officer who provided the medication said it was the second time in a week he had assisted a person with a diabetic reaction.
CHP Capt. Scott Gillingwater, commander of the Chico office, said all officers are at a minimum trained to be emergency medical responders, and are authorized to administer basic medications and perform some first aid procedures.
He said some officers, including two or three in the Chico office, are trained as emergency medical technicians, and may perform such procedures as giving oxygen and administering more advanced medications.
He said any roadside medical assistance is only provided in an emergency.
After the driver recovered Monday, the officer said he would accompany the man to a restaurant where he could get something to eat.
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