A TV news crew preparing for a live shot in Pennsylvania captured a dramatic moment Wednesday after a man overdosed behind the wheel of a car.
A photographer and reporter from NBC affiliate WPXI in Pittsburgh were just about to record a live news segment when a motorist who was curious about their coverage suddenly lost consciousness and stopped breathing.
"I look back and his head’s back and he’s purple," photographer Dave Clark said. Clark is seen on camera shaking the unconscious man and yelling, "Talk to me!"
"You better live because I’m not going home tonight thinking this guy died on me," Clark said.
WPXI reporter Cara Sapida called 911 while Clark pulled the man from his car and performed CPR. Police say the unidentified man was suffering from a heroin overdose.
"I'm thinking if we can just keep a pulse going until the paramedics get here we're cool, but his pulse just got weaker and weaker," Clark said.
Police and paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after and took over, administering the overdose medicine Narcan to the victim.
"Seconds later they gave him Narcan and his eyes were bright blue and wide open," WPXI reporter Sapida said.
Police said the man had no pulse and was lucky to survive the incident.
"[The ] cameraman originally brought his pulse back, it then faded away again and was brought back three more times," Washington Police Officer Matt Karlowsky told WPXI.
Karlowsky said the presence of the news crew helped save the man's life.
"He probably would’ve died," he said. "If [the] news crew had not been there, he probably would’ve died."
