State trooper commended for assisting driver suffering from stroke

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is commending a trooper who assisted a driver during a medical emergency.

A driver signaled to Trooper A.J. Ramirez for help Wednesday morning, while Ramirez was on speed enforcement duty along Thomas Betts Highway in Rocky Mount.

In a tweet, SHP officials said the driver was having a stroke. Ramirez recognized that every second counts during a stroke event, and he rushed the driver to Nash General Hospital in his patrol car. The patient arrived at the trauma center within four minutes.

The State Highway Patrol thanked Ramirez for his "swift, life-saving actions."