Illinois Semi-Truck Driver Thanks Caregivers and Bystanders Who Helped Save Him After Suffering Heart Attack on I-15

An Illinois semi-truck driver who suffered a heart attack on I-15 took time Monday to thank the first responders and caregivers at Intemountain Medical Center who helped save his life. John Lindsey, 72, was driving on an I-15 on-ramp in South Salt Lake on May 2nd when he suffered a heart attack, crashing his truck into a  barrier.

Driving behind him was Intermountain TOSH Trainer Justin Letizia who witnessed the crash and immediately stopped to help.

“I noticed he was staring forward and wasn’t breathing quite right, so that’s when I realized something was wrong,” said Letizia.

Shortly after checking his pulse, Letizia said Lindsey had stopped breathing. Along with another bystander they helped get him out of the truck, and began performing CPR. Just then officers Ken and Robyn Newell of the Provo City Police Department pulled up, and also began helping with chest compressions.

Paramedics and firefighters from South Salt Lake Fire Department arrived on scene and continued chest compressions while rushing Lindsey to the Level 1 Trauma Center at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.

Once there nearly a dozen caregivers worked quickly to shock Lindsey’s heart back into rhythm and stabilize him. Doctors realized Lindsey had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Edward Miner, MD, an interventional cardiologist at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute who was one of Lindsey’s doctors, says cases like this prove why doing chest compressions is vital to someone’s chance of surviving.

“CPR is so important during a cardiac arrest because it keeps blood and oxygen flowing through the body and most importantly to the brain and heart,” said Dr. Miner. “I have no doubt their efforts helped save his life.”

Shortly after his heart attack, doctors performed a quintuple bypass. Lindsey was released from the Intermountain Medical Center on  Monday, May 13th.

His fiancé Grett Williams, who flew in to be with Lindsey shortly after his heart attack, says she’s so grateful for everyone’s help in saving his life. 

“Since he’s a truck driver this could have so easily happened in the middle of nowhere and he would have been in trouble,” said Williams. “The fact those people were in the right place at the right time is just a miracle and I couldn’t be more thankful.”

After a follow up visit later this week, Lindsey is expected to be cleared to travel back home to Illinois where he will continue his recovery.

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