Tearful reunion for police who helped save woman

A grandmother who suffered a cardiac arrest and a stroke while driving has enjoyed a tearful reunion with the police officers who helped save her life.

Jacqueline Alston's heart stopped beating for one hour and seven minutes after she fell unconscious on Dunmow Road near Ongar in May, Essex Police said.

Her car came to a stop against a telegraph pole and people - including Sgt Rob Fitt and PC Tom Baggley - rushed to help.

"When we found out Jacqueline was conscious it was fantastic but to go to the house and see her was absolutely unbelievable," said Sgt Fitt.

"It was surreal. Nobody expected her to be having a family Christmas."

Essex Police said two members of the public, Andy Fleming and Adrian Rowell, helped pull her out via the car's sunroof.

Meanwhile, the two community policing officers had stopped for a coffee nearby when they received the call on their radios.

The pair, along with trained medic Mark Johnson who was passing by, helped administer CPR and shocks with a defibrillator.

The 62-year-old was placed on life support at Basildon Hospital and her husband Gary Alston did not expect her to survive.

However, she was talking four days later.

Ms Alston also received treatment at Broomfield, Brentwood and Homerton hospitals and returned to her home in Braintree permanently in December.

"She shouldn't be here really. Nobody survives a stroke and a cardiac arrest," said her husband, who is a black cab driver.

"If you saw what happened in a film, you'd turn it off because it was unbelievable."

Sgt Fitt said he had tears in his eyes when Mrs Alston thanked him during the reunion last month - a memory he said he would always think back to on tough days at work.

He said even a neighbour came over to thank them.

"It was emotional," he recalled.

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