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Paramedics Amputate Man's Leg To Save His Life

Last updated on Thursday, October 3, 2013

(FORT WAYNE) - Indiana paramedics were forced to take extreme action and amputate part of a man’s leg, in order to save his life.

The man was driving a truck carrying cabbage when he slammed into a barrier early Tuesday morning in Fort Wayne.

Traffic was tied up for more than ten hours while the paramedics worked to free the driver from the truck. Paramedics realized they would have to amputate his leg, and called a surgeon to talk them through the procedure while they performed it.

"This is the first field amputation we've had here in Fort Wayne. It is not a common occurrence, it's something that is again only done if we have to weigh that against the patient's life. Period," said Michael Gillespie, a Three Rivers Ambulance Authority spokesperson.

Once the driver was freed, crews rushed him to the hospital in critical condition.

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