A dramatic moment was caught on police dash cam video as troopers realized a driver of a pick-up was passed out, likely overdosing on heroin, right on I-91 north in Hartford during the afternoon rush.
"It could have turned out a lot worse. He could have taken out several vehicles with him," Trooper First Class Kelly Grant said.
Instead, police said the driver stopped against a barrier near exit 32A on Tuesday.
A DOT truck blocks the pickup after crews discover it’s still in drive, with the driver’s foot somehow still on the brake.
Troopers rush to help him.
"They broke the window of the pick-up truck and they were able to get the operator out," Grant said.
But the driver was still in trouble.
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"Every trooper in the state is certified as an emergency medical responder," Trooper First Class Robert Lanouette said.
So a trooper whips out the heroin antidote they now all carry called Narcan and the man came to.
Each year troopers in the state use Narcan about 70 times.
"Narcan is just one part of the overall management of an opioid overdose," Lanouette said.
The video also showed the dangers for first responders working with traffic zooming by on either side.
Troopers remind all drivers that you’re required to slow down when you approach a scene and move over a lane if possible.
"This was a prime example of why the Move Over Law is so important," Grant said.
As for the driver in Tuesday’s incident, the 26-year-old was taken to a hospital, released and charged with DUI.
He’s out on a $500 bond and due in court later this month.
