SOUTHINGTON TWP. - In addition to clocking your speed and handing out tickets, some Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers save lives in other ways.

A case in point is the example set by Patrol Sergeant Stephen A. Murphy who was honored for coming to the rescue of a driver experiencing cardiac issues late last year.

Sergeant Murphy was presented with the Distinguished Service Medallion award on Thursday for his actions on November 11, 2023, after the Lisbon Dispatch Center received a call from a woman taking her husband to the hospital, as he was suffering from chest pain. 

The dispatcher told the wife to drive to the Lisbon Post, where an ambulance crew would meet the couple. 

Before EMTs arrived, Sgt. Murphy met the two carrying an automated external defibrillator.

Patrol officials say Sergeant Murphy provided calm and comforting words while gathering critical information for the EMTs.  Once EMS arrived, the victim was placed in the back of the ambulance for further treatment.

Noticing that the man was in full cardiac arrest, Sgt. Murphy administered chest compressions and provided oxygen to the victim while giving information to the EMTs. 

It took several shocks from a defibrillator, but once the man’s condition was stabilized he was flown to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown.

For exemplifying the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Core Values and rendering life-saving aid, Sergeant Stephen A. Murphy was awarded the Distinguished Service Medallion by Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent.