Nebraska Victim Meets Firefighters Who Saved His Life

Nov. 11, 2008
A man who nearly died after crashing his car into a light pole spent an evening thanking the men who saved his life.

OMAHA, Neb. --

A man who nearly died after crashing his car into a light pole spent an evening thanking the men who saved his life.

Mark Peters drove straight to Fire Station 42 after walking out of a hospital

Peters hit the light pole near the intersection of 97th and Maple streets on Election Day and suffered a heart attack.

"I was driving down the road getting my daughter from school and the next thing I know I was in the hospital," Peters said.

"When we pulled up, the steering wheel was crushed, blood coming out of your [Peter's] ear. It didn't look good," fire apparatus engineer Mike Tafoya said.

Capt. Scott Clifton said his crew at station 42 had to give Peters chest compress and CPR to bring him back.

Fortunately it worked and Peters had a pulse before making it to a hospital. Doctors had to put a stent in his heart due his injuries.

"He's the first one in 24 years [that is] walking out of the hospital. [When] we brought them back before they have pulses on them, they usually don't walk out of the hospital. He's a very lucky man," Clifton said.

Peters came to the station to make a memory with the firefighters he owes his life to.

They joked a little, took a picture and even played a little foosball.

Peters said he feels good and drove for the first time since the crash.

Copyright 2008 by KETV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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