Heart Attack at 55 MPH

An eight-year-old girl is trapped in a moving car after her father has a heart attack while driving. Can she be saved?

By Anita Bartholomew
From Reader's Digest
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The Le Grands put themselves at risk to stop a runaway car.
Photographed By Shannon Taggart
The Le Grands put themselves at risk to stop a runaway car.
Image
I'm going to try to get in front of it

A Swerving Car Causes Concern

Jose and Maria Le Grand, and their two children, Blake, 14, and Alexis, 6, had just spent a long Memorial Day weekend at Jose's parents' home in New Jersey. For this close-knit New York City family, it had been a pleasant respite from the noise and hustle. But now it was time to head home. Jose, 44, dressed casually in a Yankees jersey, knew the highways would be clogged with weekend partyers later that Monday, so he packed up the family early. They said their goodbyes and were well on their way by 7:30 a.m. in the Le Grands' white Ford Expedition.

Just as they approached the entrance to the Pulaski Skyway, a silver Mercedes-Benz directly in front of their SUV slowed to almost a complete stop. After a moment, Jose Le Grand beeped his horn. The Mercedes lurched forward. Then it drifted from right to left across the lanes -- and kept on going.

Jose gave Maria a worried look. "It's kind of early to be driving drunk," he said as he watched the car weave up the on-ramp. The Mercedes in front of them lurched again. Once on the skyway, there was no shoulder for three and a half miles, as the elevated roadway spanned two rivers. "Stay back," said a concerned Maria, "in case we have to make a quick stop."

Jose slowed until he was about ten car lengths behind what he was now convinced was a very drunk driver. The big foreign sedan swayed across the two northbound lanes. Then, bam! It slammed into the wall separating traffic, bounced off, and drifted to the right.

Maria implored her husband to get away from the weaving car. If the Mercedes wiped out at 55 mph, as seemed likely, the Le Grand family, traveling behind it, would be in danger too.

"I'm going to try to get in front of it," Jose assured her, as the Mercedes hit the median again, and careened back into the lane. Back and forth it went in a drunken dance.

Maria turned to the children in the backseat. As calmly as she could, she explained what they planned to do. "Make sure you have your seat belts on."

Must Read Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story

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