York crash: taxi driver owes life to police officers

The driver, who cannot be named, collapsed at the wheel with a heart attack in Tower Street in York city centre at 9.20am on the morning of September 14 last year and the taxi then accelerated into the back of a lorry.

When PC Mark Cole and student officer, PC Alice Wilson reached the scene the checked him out, realised he was not breathing and immediately began administering cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Eventually they managed to bring him back to life and he was taken to hospital where he went on to survive the ordeal.

Emergency service at the scene. Picture: Megi Rychlikova

Doctors have since praised PCs Cole and Wilson and have said that they undoubtedly saved the man’s life. He has since contacted them to thank them personally.

Now the two life-saving officers have been awarded Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificates and have also won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Society.

“But for their swift action the man would almost certainly have died,” he said. “They did a superb job and richly deserve the awards they are to receive.

“The incident emphasises the value of as many people as possible, not just members of the emergency services learning how to administer CPR. It can, as it did in this case, make the difference between life and death.”

Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society: “But for their swift action the man would almost certainly have died” (Image: Royal Humane Society)

The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. The Queen is its patron and its president is Princess Alexandra. It is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.

It was founded in 1774 by two of the day's eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan. Their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.

However, as it emerged that numerous people were prepared to put their own lives at risk to save others, the awards scheme evolved, and today a variety of awards are made depending on the bravery involved.

The Society also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up the Society has considered over 87,000 cases and made over 200,000 awards. The Society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.

It was one of a select number of organisations to receive a donation from the Patron’s fund which was set up to acknowledge work done by organisations of which the Queen is the patron, to mark her 90th birthday.