shane_hgv#2

Two hero police officers helped save the life of an HGV driver, who suffered a heart attack at the wheel on the motorway and collided with the central reservation.

Shane Sharkey entered cardiac arrest on the M60 and lost control of his lorry, which then hit the concrete central reservation causing extensive damage to his vehicle and resulted in the contents being emptied across both carriageways.

PC Chris Pixton and PC Patrick Geoghegan-Shaw of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) intervened and pulled Sharkey out of his cab, which was now smoking.

Pixton and a member of the public then used a defibrillator to try to revive the trucker and performed CPR for more than 10 minutes, while Geoghegan-Shaw gave first aid until the ambulance arrived.

GMP said a third police officer, PC Nicola Greenhalgh, attended Salford Royal Hospital and supported the victim’s partner who, due to Covid-19, had to visit alone.

Superintendent Richard Timson, GMP’s district commander, said: “This was a true act of bravery.

“Both officers acted swiftly and their quick thinking saved the driver of the HGV.

“PC Pixton has recently completed police medical training and PC Geoghegan-Shaw is currently part-way through the course.

“This incident highlights the importance of the skills officers learn on this course and I’m glad that they were both able to, in a high-pressured situation, put into practise what they had learnt.”

He added: “I am pleased to hear that Mr Sharkey is making a recovery with the support of his partner Debra who wrote a letter of thanks to all the officers involved, expressing her gratitude for their actions.”

PC Pixton said: “This is no doubt one of those defining moments in my job that will stay with me and I'm thankful that we could make a difference.”

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