OnStar To The Rescue: Police Find Driver Suffering Diabetic Reaction

FALL RIVER (CBS) - State police are crediting the OnStar system with helping them track down a driver who was suffering a severe diabetic reaction.

Troopers received several 911 calls around 5 am Wednesday reporting that a possible drunk driver had struck a curb in Fall River.

Around the same time, a call from the vehicle's OnStar system also reported the crash. OnStar is a high tech in-vehicle security, communications, and diagnostics system with an automatic crash response that alerts State Police.

While Troopers were responding to the area, an OnStar representative spoke to the driver and reported that he sounded confused, believing he was in another state.

Police were able to tracked the vehicle to the northbound side of Route 79. The car, which was traveling without a rear-right tire, kept driving for several miles before Troopers could get it to stop.

The driver, a 63-year-old man whose name will not be released, was suffering from a diabetic reaction. He was taken to Charlton Hospital. There was no word on his condition.

This is the second time in a week State Police have reported that OnStar assisted them in a tracking down a driver. Last week, they were able to catch a suspected drunk driver in Peabody after a crash triggered an OnStar alert.