Off-duty NJ Sgt. helps save a 5-year-old girl’s life on Rt 4

It's every parent's nightmare. You're driving down a busy highway in traffic trying to get somewhere and your young child has a medical episode in the back seat.

This happened to a Kentucky family visiting New Jersey on the busiest area of roadway in the Garden State, the Route 17 ramp from Route 4 in Paramus.

Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Walter Hutchinson was off duty driving with his family on September 21 around 6 p.m. when he saw a car pulled over near the Rt 17 ramp and a woman waving frantically from the side of the road.

He pulled over and saw a young girl unresponsive and not breathing in the car. The 5-year-old's father was giving her mouth-to-mouth and Sgt. Hutchinson started chest compressions.

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While the officer was hard at work to bring the girl back, another car pulled over and in an incredible twist of fate, the driver happened to be a doctor. He and his wife started helping as well and the girl started breathing again.

More cars pulled over to help until the paramedics came and took the girl to Hackensack University Medical Center where she was later reported to be in stable condition.

The doctor who stopped said the girl showed signs of having a seizure. No word from the hospital or the identity of the girl and parents.

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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