Female traffic constable administers CPR to unwell car driver, saves his life

The person in the car with him subsequently wrote an email to the traffic department’s joint commissioner of police, expressing gratitude and requesting that the constable’s act be officially recognised

MUMBAI: Exhibiting great presence of mind, a woman traffic constable on Monday gauged that a car driver at Wadala was having a cardiac episode and promptly administered him cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), saving his life. The person in the car with him subsequently wrote an email to the traffic department’s joint commissioner of police, expressing gratitude and requesting that the constable’s act be officially recognised.

Constable Deepali Madale

The incident occurred when constable Deepali Madale, attached to the Wadala traffic chowky, was manning traffic going towards Antop Hill at 7.00 pm. “A car suddenly halted, and I saw the man in the passenger seat getting out,” she said. “He appeared to be panicky. At first I thought he was changing seats with the driver, but on a closer look, I saw him helping the driver, who was gasping, out of the car.”

Mandale gauged within seconds that the driver was unwell and losing consciousness. “I rushed to the car, placed him on a flat surface with the help of other people in the car and administered CPR, which we were taught during our training,” she said. “As he regained consciousness and became stable, all the people present, including the traffic police, called an ambulance and took him to hospital.”

On Wednesday, the person seated beside the driver sent the joint commissioner of traffic an email. “The female traffic police officer on duty showed great presence of mind and immediately administered CPR to our driver, saving his life,” he said. “This act is highly commendable and a great example of humanity.”

The email added that the driver was on duty for a vehicle belonging to the All India Radio office of the Government of India. “(The constable’s) “promptness, courage, and professional training are a symbol of the high-quality service provided by the Mumbai traffic police,” said the email. “Please convey our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to the said female police officer and all the traffic police personnel who were present at that time. We humbly request that this selfless and courageous act receive special recognition.”

Madale, meanwhile, shrugged off her feat. The constable, who was enlisted in the department in 2014 and has been with the traffic police since 2024, said that she had done nothing extraordinary. “I helped the man out as I should,” she said. “It was my duty.”