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Jeff Geraci, who was returning home from a workout class last month, suddenly stopped breathing and lost control of his vehicle
Upon arriving at the scene, the doctor examined Geraci and realised his condition was critical | Image: X
A 64-year-old Virginia man narrowly escaped death after suffering a sudden heart attack while driving and crashing his car, coincidentally outside the office of a cardiologist who rushed to save him, according to reports.
Jeff Geraci, who was returning home from a workout class last month, suddenly stopped breathing and lost control of his vehicle.
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His car swerved across multiple lanes before hitting a sign and coming to a stop in a parking lot.
“I sat in the car because something didn’t quite feel right. I sipped some coffee and was going to rest for a few minutes, but then I decided to drive home,” Geraci said.
By chance, the crash occurred near the office of Dr Deepak Talreja, chief of cardiology at Sentara Health. Talreja, who was on the phone with 911 at the time, immediately ran to the scene.
“The windshield was shattered, the airbags deployed, and it was hard to see you because you were surrounded by airbags and glass,” the doctor recalled.
Talreja quickly assessed Geraci and found him in critical condition.
“He wasn’t breathing and had no pulse — sudden cardiac death, meaning the heart isn’t functioning. But fortunately, we got things restarted very quickly. It was a matter of minutes,” Talreja said.
Medical examination revealed that Geraci’s heart attack had blocked 95 per cent of his lower anterior descending artery and 90 per cent of the upper portion.
Talreja noted that without immediate intervention within eight minutes, Geraci likely would not have survived.
Geraci described the experience after regaining consciousness as surreal.
“The confusion when I woke up with things in my arm and people running around felt like a foggy, muddled dream,” he said.
“I asked the nurse what happened, and he said, ‘You had a heart attack. You crashed your car.’”
Despite a family history of heart disease, his father suffered two heart attacks, his mother died from one, and one sister also has heart issues, Geraci had believed his active lifestyle offered protection.
“I’ve been an athlete since I was 14, ran marathons, worked out constantly. I thought it wouldn’t happen to me,” he said.
Now back at work, Geraci is focusing on improving his diet and overall health. “It’s a testament to God’s grace that I survived. I’m blessed. It’s a miracle. God was there, and thank God Dr. Talreja was there,” he added.
United States of America (USA)
October 01, 2025, 17:29 IST
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