The 8 minute window: Driving complaint saves woman's life

It was when the officer pulled the woman over that he realised she was suffering a medical emergency. Photo / File

A complaint about a woman's driving ended up saving her life after she was pulled over by police.

After Cambridge police pulled the woman's vehicle over on the outskirts of Hamilton on Monday last week, they realised she was "having a medical emergency".

In a post on the Waikato police Facebook page, they wrote how the officer called for an ambulance and rushed her to Waikato Hospital.

"She was rushed straight to theatre for emergency surgery and spent the next two days in Intensive Care."

But when he went to visit her a couple of days later he was shocked to discover how imminent death could have been.

"The Officer went to visit her a couple of days later, when speaking to the Doctors, was advised that there had been an eight minute window with which to get the driver into theatre otherwise she would not be with us today.

"That's how gravely ill she was."

Police wrote how the woman recalled looking in her rearview mirror and seeing the police flashing lights coming down the hill behind her and knowing that they were for her and thinking to herself "they are coming to save me, I'm going to be ok".

"If it wasn't for those two members of the public phoning in the driving complaint there is a good chance that the driver would not be with us today.

"Both informants have been phoned by the officer to thank them."

YOUR CALLS DO MATTER, CALL 📞 POLICE #111 EMERGENCY - #105 NON- EMERGENCY On Monday 29th June Cambridge Police...

Posted by Waikato Police on Sunday, 5 July 2020