NJ officers save 80-year-old man after medical emergency

It’s Friday, and that means it’s time to recognize the men and women in law enforcement who sometimes find themselves facing a life-or-death situation with absolutely no warning.

Sometimes, they have to pivot from enforcing local laws to saving a life.

Today, we have three Blue Friday honorees from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office: Officers Vanessa Vargas, Amelia Caceres, and Jheremy Valderrama.

Wednesday afternoon, Officers Vargas and Caceres had just finished an unrelated traffic stop when a passing motorist flagged them down.

There was a car sitting at a traffic light on Polifly Road in Hackensack.

Inside was an 80-year-old man.

He was slumped over and motionless. Something was clearly wrong.

The officers rushed to the vehicle, but the doors were locked.

Breaking through the window to save a life

This is where training and instinct take over, they knew they didn’t have time to stand there to figure out how to open the car, so they punched through the passenger-side window and got inside.

They checked the driver. No pulse. He wasn’t breathing.

Officer Jheremy Valderrama arrived to help.

Together, the officers pulled the man from the vehicle, got him onto the ground and immediately began CPR.

Think about how quickly an ordinary afternoon had changed.

One minute, these officers were finishing a traffic stop. The next minute, they were fighting to keep an 80-year-old stranger alive.

Every second mattered.

From roadside emergency to lifesaving rescue

EMS arrived, took over treatment and transported the man to Hackensack University Medical Center. He is expected to survive.

Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton credited the officers’ quick thinking, training and teamwork for turning a roadside emergency into a life saved.

But today, we especially recognize Vanessa Vargas, Amelia Caceres and Jheremy Valderrama.

They saw a man who needed help, and they didn’t hesitate.

They broke through that window, they pulled him out, and they went to work saving his life.

Officers Vargas, Caceres and Valderrama, you are our Blue Friday honorees.

Thank you for making sure one New Jersey family gets their loved one back.

2023 Best Looking State Patrol Cars In (Almost) Every State

For the past 10 years, the American Association of State Troopers has held a contest to determine which state has the best looking patrol cruiser. Nearly every state police agency submits their best photo of their sharpest patrol vehicle a chance to win the coveted cover photo on the association's annual calendar. From cop cars rushing through blizzards to vehicles on the Grand Ole Opry stage, here are this 2023's nominees.

Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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