New Jersey State Police trooper saves choking teenager on side of highway

    A quick thinking New Jersey State Police trooper saved the life of a choking teenager on the side of a highway Sunday.

    Troopers James Herane and Ruben Benavidez were patrolling Route 129 when they were flagged down by Filadelfo Estrada, 38, of Florence, whose 13-year-old special needs son, Julian, was choking on food and not breathing, police said.

    The troopers approached the frantic parents and their son, and Herane then performed the Heimlich maneuver on the teenager. 

    A dashboard cam video shows Herane performing multiple thrusts, quickly resulting in the food becoming dislodged. Julian began breathing again, and after several minutes of observation, was placed back in his wheelchair without requiring additional medical attention, police said.

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