Georgia man hailed as a hero for saving woman who had seizure while driving
A 22-year-old LaGrange man is being celebrated after helping save a woman’s life as she was having a seizure while driving, Piedmont Columbus Regional announced.
Zion Reed is Piedmont’s First Friday Hero this month.
A woman had a seizure while driving a car on Highway 27 near Bryant Lake subdivision in LaGrange and veered into the wrong side of the road, Piedmont’s news release says.
Reed sprinted toward the moving car without hesitation and opened the car door, dove in head first and hit the brake, Piedmont said.
This happened while the driver still was convulsing and vomiting, according to the release. The incident could have turned deadly as a dump truck was heading toward the car, Piedmonth said.
First responders took the woman to the hospital, the release says, where she was treated and released.
‘I gotta save her’
Reed, originally from Auburn, told the Ledger-Enquirer he was on his way to drop his son off at school May 2 when traffic stopped and backed up. He saw a vehicle coming in the opposite direction.
The woman’s car was coasting toward the right lane, Reed said.
“I looked over in her car, and I just seen her having a seizure, and like I just told my girlfriend to stop the car, pull over,” he said. “It was just a quick instinct, ‘I gotta save her.’”
Reed said he was shocked after the event happened and was concerned for the woman.
“I didn’t wanna leave her until I knew she was OK,” he said. “When I swung that door open, I was planting myself there for her and only her. She was my only concern before I left and before I arrived.”
Reed said he wanted to ensure the woman made it back to her kids and she didn’t hurt anyone around her.
He said the Friday Hero honor by Piedmont is “a blessing” and thanked “the man above.” Reed also said he is grateful for the way his parents raised him.
“If it wasn’t for them,” he said, “then I probably would’ve kept going, honestly.”