Crime & Safety
Video: Officers Rescue, Perform CPR On Man Pinned In Car
A police body camera captures three officers performing CPR and rescuing a man pinned in his car.
DULUTH, GA — Three officers performed CPR and rescued a man pinned in his car Sunday evening to save a young man’s life.
Carlos Tuscano, 21, from Duluth, was placed on a ventilator at the hospital and listed in stable condition after being unpinned from his car.
At approximately 7 p.m., officers assigned to the Gwinnett County Police Department's Central Precinct were dispatched to the McDonald’s at 2101 Duluth Highway in unincorporated Duluth because an accident where the victim was pinned. According to the caller, the driver of a passenger car in the drive-thru line was pinned when his vehicle struck the side of the building.
Find out what's happening in Duluthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
(For more news like this, sign up for Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news in Duluth — or other neighborhoods. Access Patch on the go with our iPhone app or our brand new app for Android phone users.)
Police say it is believed that the driver dropped his credit card and leaned down to retrieve it. As his leaned over, he pressed down on the gas pedal and his car accelerated forward. Police said his upper torso became pinned between the door and the car as his vehicle struck the side of the building.
Find out what's happening in Duluthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lt. Barnhart was working a security job nearby and heard the dispatched call. He arrived at the scene to find the driver still pinned. He used his baton to break the passenger side window, unlocked the door, opened it and placed the vehicle in neutral.
As he was doing this, Officer Shelton arrived and a bystander walked up. Together, they pushed the vehicle backwards freeing the driver. Officer Crown arrived as the car was being moved backward.
The driver was pulled out, and the officers immediately checked for a pulse. No pulse was found, so officers began CPR. After several chest compressions, the driver began gasping for air. The officers were asking him questions, but he did not respond. The members of the Gwinnett County Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and eventually transported the driver to the local hospital with serious injuries.
Photo and video courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.