Ranger Bryan Adams was driving his patrol vehicle to Rapid City for some minor vehicle repairs on the afternoon of December 4th when he came upon a single vehicle accident on an overpass above I-90. A southbound car had crossed the northbound lanes, hit a concrete guardrail, left the road, and finally come to rest in the pedestrian fencing. It was completely off the ground, hanging precariously over the interstate below. A large group of bystanders were crowded around the suspended vehicle, and several of them were in the process of pulling the unconscious driver – Joseph Keiffer, 38 – from the car. Adams grabbed his medical gear, rushed to Keiffer’s side, and began a medical assessment. One of the bystanders, a nurse, called out that Keiffer was not breathing. Adams confirmed this to be the case and also that he had no pulse. Adams and the nurse then began CPR. As they did so, emergency units from Pennington County and Rapid City began arriving on scene. After performing CPR for about five minutes, Adams detected a faint pulse, but Keiffer’s breathing had not yet been restored. He was transferred to the care of the paramedics and rushed to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Had it not been for the quick and decisive actions taken by Adams and the nurse, Keiffer would have certainly died. Investigators believe that Keiffer suffered a heart attack while driving. The accident remains under investigation.
