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Teen reunites with Indiana UPS driver who saved him while choking

Posted at 7:45 AM, Sep 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-06 07:45:11-04

PLAINFIELD, Ind.- A 17-year-old finally got the chance to say thank you to the delivery driver who saved his life.

Last week, 17-year-old Cody Kennedy had close call when started choking on a piece of candy while on his drive home. He couldn’t breathe and was forced to pull over along Ronald Reagan Parkway. Within seconds, a UPS driver was there to rescue him.

“I knew there was definitely something wrong," UPS driver Darren Collins told WTTV.

Collins saw a car pull over and the driver fall out. He stopped his UPS truck and started running towards the teenager.

“I saw him with his hands around his throat and that’s when I realized it was something that needed to be done immediate,” said Collins.

Kennedy was choking on a SweeTart and Collins knew what to do.

“I decided to get behind him and put my arms behind his sternum and perform the Heimlich maneuver,” said Collins.

A couple tries is all it took. Cody was breathing again. Moments later, first responders showed up and Collins took off. The two didn’t even get a chance to get each other’s names.

“So it was one of those that I took off I was glad I was able to help, shook his hand and kind of disappeared as that mystery UPS man,” said Collins.

Tuesday afternoon, the mystery was solved when the two finally met face to face, again.

“I still can’t thank you enough. I don’t know what I would’ve done,” said Kennedy.

Collins understands the gratefulness. When he was younger, a stranger saved him, too.

“Our vehicle actually started to catch fire and I was trapped in the vehicle and there was a good Samaritan that ended up pulling over and helping my grandmother out of the vehicle and helping me get out of the vehicle in cold weather,” said Collins.

“It’s OK to stop. It’s OK to check on somebody and make sure they’re OK and to be that Good Samaritan. We all need it. You never know when you may need it yourself, so why not stop and help somebody else out?” Collins asked.

Kennedy is currently training to become a firefighter with the Madison Township Fire Department.