Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Yudiel Santana's quick response and training helped save a man's life off of an Interstate 195 exit ramp in Miami.
Santana responded to the scene by the North Miami Ave exit ramp within one minute. When he arrived at around 12:24 p.m. on Saturday, he saw that a 2004 black Mercedes-Benz had crashed into the guardrail.
"The driver was convulsing and also didn't have any pulse," Santana said in an interview Monday.
Trooper Santana then took Kareem Shaker, 32, out of the car and performed CPR on him.
"It's part of my job. Luckily for this guy I was around the area," Santana said.
Minutes later, more help arrived. Miami Beach Police Officer Tino Serrano took over the CPR, while Santana grabbed a mask from his patrol car.
"We were afraid that we were losing him again, so we put him back on his back and we started doing CPR again," Santana recalled.
Although the trooper's quick thinking and training were crucial in saving the man's life, Santana doesn't consider himself a hero.
"For me heroes are the ones who give their life for their nation or those who dedicate their lives to take care of the person who needs special needs," he said.
Local
By the time the ambulance arrived, Shaker regained his pulse. He was taken to the hospital, but has since been released.
"Today we are here on a good note, because sometimes you perform CPR, you do everything you can, you wait for rescue to get there and then it's a negative outcome," said FHP spokesman Joe Sanchez.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The FHP didn't specify if it was alcohol- or drug-related, but previous court records for Shaker show several cocaine purchase charges.
