he life of a van driver who suffered a suspected heart attack at the wheel in Clacton was saved by emergency services teamwork, says a specially-trained police officer who has been commended by Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington for her role.
The man collided with two parked vehicles in Old Road on 2 September 2022. He was trapped in his van and unresponsive when officers from Clacton Local Policing Team arrived.
One of them was PC Victoria Price who, prior to joining Essex Police 16 months ago, was an operating department practitioner (ODP)* with the Army.
She and a colleague managed to get the man out of the van before she was joined by a paramedic and, together, they provided immediate trauma and life support to the unconscious man.
Meanwhile, colleagues worked quickly to create a sterile working space for them. They secured the three vehicles so that firefighters could mitigate any risk of fuel leaks, co-ordinated road closures, cleared space for the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance to land, transported doctors to the scene and identified key witnesses to the incident.
Victoria has kept up her ODP credentials since joining us. She and the paramedic supplied the man with oxygen and monitored his vital signs. The man was also ‘shocked’ on three occasions with a defibrillator.
“The man was very lucky because a paramedic was also there with all her kit and equipment which I could use. So we worked together to save him. Without her, without her equipment, we wouldn’t have been able to save his life.
“It was real teamwork. The East of England Ambulance Service were great, firefighters took turns in performing CPR while we were trying to save the man’s life and then the air ambulance doctors arrived.
“After about 30 minutes of treatment, the man was showing signs of life and he was flown to Basildon Hospital for immediate surgery.”
PC Victoria Price
Victoria was commended for her professionalism and fast-thinking, which helped to save the man’s life. He later made a full recovery.
“I spent 10 years working as a theatre nurse assisting with trauma surgery in the Military so assisting at the scene of the collision was second nature for me.
“I knew what I had to do so it was just a matter of getting everyone else there to do what I needed them to do.
“It’s nice to be recognised with a Commendation but I feel more elated and happy that the man survived and we all worked as a team to make that happen. It was a great result.”
PC Victoria Price
“All police officers are trained in first aid but PC Price’s medical background means she was particularly well-placed to help the injured driver that day.
“I have no doubt that, were it not for her quick-thinking actions and her specialist knowledge of trauma and life-support procedures, the casualty would not have survived his injuries. I am extremely proud of her calm and professional response to a life-threatening incident.”
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington
