advertisement

Suburban heroes: Wauconda cop honored for saving crash victim's life

A Wauconda police officer has been honored for using CPR to save the life of a motorcycle crash victim.

Had it not been for Sgt. Ted Hennessy's response, the injured man may not have survived the crash, officials said.

"Sgt. Hennessy's training kicked in, and without hesitation he jumped into action," Wauconda Police Chief David Wermes said.

Hennessy, a 21-year veteran of the department, received a departmental Life Saving Award in a recent ceremony at village hall. The award comes with a medal and a cloth ribbon for his dress uniform.

Hennessy was on patrol about 5:40 p.m. Sept. 10, 2017, when he heard a dispatcher's report of a motorcycle crash near Route 59 and Roberts Road. The intersection is outside the department's jurisdiction, but Hennessy was only a half mile away and drove to the scene.

Once there, Hennessy spotted the motorcycle in the road and the rider lying motionless about 15 feet away. The man, a 38-year-old Carol Stream resident, was unconscious and wasn't breathing, so Hennessy began CPR.

"I knew right away ... that the guy was in trouble," Hennessy recalled.

He soon was joined by Tower Lakes police officer Glen Blaylock, who had an automated external defibrillator and confirmed the man didn't have a pulse. Hennessy continued chest compressions while Blaylock set up the device - and then the victim began breathing.

No shock was needed from the defibrillator.

Paramedics arrived and took the victim to Advocate Condell Medical Center for treatment. The Lake County sheriff's office, which usually investigates accidents in unincorporated areas, was notified, too.

Wermes called Hennessy "an excellent representation of the quality of officers that the Wauconda Police Department is fortunate to have."

Hennessy called the experience and the award humbling.

"It's something we're paid to do and trained to do, and I'm glad I was able to do it when it was needed," he said.

• Do you know of any Suburban Heroes? Share your story at heroes@dailyherald.com.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.