No longer responsive

Police officers became lifesavers for the driver

Patrol officers Manuel F. (30) and Melanie B. (31) were at the scene of the accident at the right time. Thanks to their intervention, the young woman from Enns (19) was saved.(Bild: Polizei)

A 19-year-old woman from Enns suffered severe breathing difficulties and convulsions while driving her car and was no longer able to steer the vehicle. She was extremely lucky that the car did not plunge over a four-meter-high embankment. A patrol crew rushed to the aid of the unresponsive Upper Austrian woman in the car. 

Two officers from Enns police station became life-saving angels for a young female driver (19) on Saturday evening. "We were driving in the village of Kristein at around 9 p.m. when we saw a car on an embankment with its engine running. In front of it were two guard posts that had been knocked over," says Manuel F. (30), describing the situation at the scene of the accident.

Driver was hanging in her seatbelt
His colleague Melanie B. (31) and he stopped immediately and ran to the car, but it was locked from the inside. "A woman was lying in the driver's seat, wearing her seatbelt, her head slumped over the center console on the passenger side. She didn't respond to knocking."

A woman with her seatbelt fastened was lying in the driver's seat, her head slumped over the center console on the passenger side. She did not respond to knocks.

Polizistin Melanie B. schildert den Vorfall

It was clear to the officers that the young woman must have serious health problems. F. got a spring punch out of his patrol car and used it to break open the side window behind the driver's seat.

The driver's life was apparently in acute danger and help was urgently needed. "The woman was still conscious, but no longer responsive. She was suffering from severe shortness of breath and had severe cramps," said F.

The woman's car was in danger of falling over the embankment(Bild: zVg)

First aid provided
The two police officers gave the 19-year-old first aid and alerted the emergency services. "We also cleared her throat so that she could breathe better." An emergency doctor and a Red Cross car arrived shortly afterwards and took over the further treatment of the driver.

The young woman from Enns was transported to Steyr Hospital, where she had to be treated in the intensive care unit because her breathing had stopped. However, the doctors finally managed to stabilize her to such an extent that she could be transferred to the normal ward on Sunday.

During her health problem, she was really lucky that the car didn't roll a meter to the right and crash over a four-meter-high embankment.

Die beiden Polizisten

Others drove past
"During her health problem, she was really lucky that the car didn't roll a meter to the right and crash over a four-meter-high embankment. It was also good that we passed by, because unfortunately others hadn't stopped."