BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A Boynton Beach police officer performed CPR and provided critical care to a woman struck by a car in Nashville while he was on vacation. His department is now recognizing his heroism by nominating him for a life-saving ribbon.
Road Patrol Officer Chase Thompson was walking down Broadway in Nashville two weeks ago when an 87-year-old driver ran a red light and struck four pedestrians. Tennessee police say the crash killed one man and critically injured others, including a woman that our sister station in Nashville has identified as Dianne Cooper.
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Thompson said Cooper landed just in front of him.
"All I saw was a white sedan go through the intersection and hit multiple pedestrians," Thompson said.
Despite being off duty and out of state, Thompson did not hesitate to rush to Cooper's aid. He performed CPR and provided critical care when every second mattered.
"I just knew that somebody needed help and I had the training. Luckily, I was there at the right time. I had the training to be able to help Mrs. Cooper, so I didn't really think twice about it," Thompson said.
Thompson described his actions simply.
"It was just the right thing to do," Thompson said.
Cooper's family, however, sees it as far more than that. According to Boynton Beach PD, Cooper's husband said that had it not been for Thompson's actions, his wife likely would not have survived. He called Thompson a hero and said, "Me and her kids can carry on our lives and she will be a part of it."
For Thompson, hearing directly from Cooper's family made the moment stand out from the many calls he responds to on the job.
"It meant everything. [...] A lot of the time we go to these calls and we help people, but that's the end of it; we don't really hear anything. We don't get calls from people's husbands, so," Thompson said. "I'm very happy that I was able to help not only her, but her family and everyone that loves her."
Thompson said the trip quickly became a vacation he will never forget.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
