Paul Jackson saw chance to help unconscious driver on I-5 in Tacoma and took it
Paul Jackson was driving home from work Tuesday when he noticed a vehicle veering into a highway divider.
The car was headed south on Interstate 5 near South 56th Street when the driver began experiencing a medical emergency. According to trooper Kameron Watts, spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol, the woman fell unconscious and was repeatedly hitting the guardrail. Reports say her foot was still on the accelerator.
Jackson, in a brief phone call with The News Tribune, said he initially thought the driver was an older man having a seizure. He said he quickly turned on his car hazards and merged into the commuter lane, using his car to push the out-of-control vehicle to a stop on the left shoulder. He then went out to check on the driver and realized it was a woman and her child.
“God puts you in the right place at the right time,” Jackson said.
The 51-year-old stayed with the pair until first responders arrived.
The driver received first aid before being transported to a local hospital, said Watts. Her child wasn’t hurt.
Watts credited Jackson’s intervention with avoiding a multi-car collision.
“If it weren’t for Paul, this could have ended worse,” Watts wrote on X.
Jackson had a thoughtful attitude about his actions.
“I think of it as more, like, all the past missed calls I had for helping out people, you know, always go by, and, ‘Oh, I should have helped that person,’ but we’re too busy ... ,” Jackson said. “This is a chance to make up for that.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Paul Jackson saw chance to help unconscious driver on I-5 in Tacoma and took it."
