Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ashley Hayes Reporting A man crashed his car and ran away into a field. Police thought he was drunk. But he left behind a very important tool that explains his strange behavior.
They found the driver's cell phone. It's crucial because police were able to call the driver's wife and find out he wasn't drunk, but instead was in diabetic shock.
Jim Winder, Salt Lake Sheriff's Office: "Thank God that the deputies initiated a search immediately. We found the gentleman some distance away. We were told had it been much longer, we could have had a very serious medical circumstance on our hands. So we're thrilled with the outcome, really."
A police officer first noticed the man because he was swerving and driving erratically. A few moments later the man tore through a fence in Bluffdale, jumped out, and took off.
With the help of the man's wife, deputies learned the driver skipped a meal and was in trouble. They tracked him down and paramedics took care of him.
Deputies say they were lucky they found him when they did. Fortunately they say no other cars were involved in this accident.
Deputies say medical conditions frequently cause accidents, but usually when it happens to diabetics they become drowsy and sedate. They usually don't leave their cars.
