Off-Duty NYPD Officer Saves Unconscious Driver and Prevents Potential Tragedy

September 9, 2026

An off-duty NYPD officer is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of an unconscious driver and potentially preventing a tragedy on a busy Brooklyn street.

Eyewitness News ABC7NY

The officer sprang into action after noticing a vehicle run a red light Sunday morning near 60th Street and Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park. As the car continued, he realized the driver appeared to be unconscious behind the wheel.

He rushed to the vehicle, put it in park, removed the driver and immediately began performing CPR.

Councilwoman Susan Zhuang said the officer's actions may have protected far more people than just the driver.

"He actually saved more than just a driver's life. He saved the pedestrians life. The babies walking in the street, the grandparents walking the street. He saved everyone's life," Zhuang said.

Tony Ko of the New York State Fraternal Alliance Organization said the surveillance camera he had installed in the neighborhood captured the rescue. He also praised the stranger who stepped in to help.

"I also want to express my gratitude to the brave individual who had the courage to help someone they didn't know," Ko said.

For Zhuang, the incident is also a reminder that an officer's commitment to helping others doesn't necessarily end when the shift does.

"We have to honor our off duty police officers. Even they are not on the job. They're still helping people," she said.

The officer is expected to be recognized at a private City Council meeting later this month.

Despite the attention, he has remained humble, telling Eyewitness News that he was simply doing his job.