When Minutes Matter: A Nurse's Quick Action Saves a Life on the Highway
- Cindy Zimmerman, an emergency room nurse, stopped to perform CPR on a woman in her car along the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
- A nurse of 35 years, Zimmerman credits the two turnpike workers for their quick actions and working together as a team to save the woman's life.
- This heroic save serves as a reminder that at any time, nurses will need to put their skills to use.
In the critical moments following cardiac arrest, every second counts. For one young woman experiencing a medical emergency on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the rapid response of both turnpike workers and an off-duty emergency department nurse made all the difference between life and death. This story proves that nursing skills aren’t confined to clinical settings.
Cardiac Arrest On A Major Highway
On December 10th, Pennsylvania Turnpike equipment operator John Gallagher noticed a car stopped on a narrow shoulder in a westbound construction zone near the Downingtown interchange. Gallagher called dispatch and kept her from wandering into traffic. "Her eyes were rolled in the back of her head, and then she'd look at us like she was scared of us," said Doug Sarver, Gallagher's co-worker who also stopped to help.
Cindy Zimmerman was returning home to Spring Township after her shift as a nurse in the emergency department of Temple Health - Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia when she pulled over.
“I looked over, mostly because I was nosey, and I noticed a person slumped over in the car,” she said. “A man was sitting in the car with his back against the steering wheel, holding her up. That just didn’t look right to me.”
Zimmerman quickly assessed the situation: the woman was in cardiac arrest—pulseless and agonal breathing. “She was doing what I call agonal breathing — she was breathing but wasn’t getting much air,” Zimmerman recalled. “She was guppy breathing. Even with her lying flat, I couldn’t find a pulse. I started doing CPR.” Without hesitation, she directed Gallagher to recline the car seat and began CPR. Zimmerman’s quick action bought the woman precious time until EMS arrived.
When Teamwork Meets Nursing Expertise
This rescue highlights how nursing skills and teamwork save lives. Zimmerman’s 35 years of experience allowed her to act with precision, but the turnpike workers and EMS teams were also critical in stabilizing and transporting the patient.
“I’m a nurse for 35 years,” she said. “I was just really thankful they stopped because she was trying to get out of the car. We were in a work zone. If she had gotten out, she would have been hit. She would have gone right into that traffic. No doubt. They were the heroes that day. They did such a great job making sure she was safe.”
Whether you’re an ICU nurse or a new grad, this story is a reminder that your skills matter everywhere. You might not always have a crash cart handy, but your training—and your hands—can save a life.
A Reminder to Stay Ready
This incident offers a few key takeaways for nurses:
- Bystander intervention matters: The turnpike workers created the conditions for advanced care to succeed. Public CPR training is vital.
- Keep your skills sharp: Zimmerman’s confidence came from years of practice. It’s a reminder to brush up on CPR techniques and emergency protocols—you never know when you’ll need them.
- Teamwork saves lives: From turnpike staff to EMS responders, this was a collaborative rescue. Nurses don’t work alone—whether in the hospital or on the side of the road.
For nurses, let this story be a nudge to stay ready for the unexpected. Nursing isn’t just a job; it’s a skillset that can make a difference anywhere, anytime. And maybe keep a CPR pocket mask in your glove compartment—you never know when you might need it!
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