Traverse City Record-Eagle

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November 29, 2007

Deputy crashes after choking on pizza

By VICTOR SKINNER

TRAVERSE CITY — A Grand Traverse County sheriff's deputy choked while eating pizza at the wheel of his patrol car and crashed, prompting a trip to Munson Medical Center for treatment.

Deputy Mike Opper suffered a minor head injury after his patrol car spun out of control on Veterans Drive around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday and crashed into a mail box and fire hydrant, Sheriff Scott Fewins said.

"We know that the deputy was choking and he blacked out because he wasn't breathing," Fewins said.

A passing motorist stopped at the scene, realized the deputy wasn't breathing, and struck Opper multiple times in the abdomen, which dislodged the pizza, Fewins said.

Opper, who was wearing a seat belt at the time, hit his head on the driver's side window and was treated at Munson.

Authorities are unsure if a medical issue contributed to the choking, although Undersheriff Nathan Alger said no medical problems were detected at the hospital. Road conditions were "greasy" from snow at the time of the crash, he said.

Eating while driving is not against the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department's policy, Alger said.

"You have to drive safely, but I think it's a stretch to say eating pizza is an unsafe activity," he said.

State police investigated the crash Wednesday, but closed the case Thursday without issuing a ticket, said Lt. William Elliott, the Traverse City post commander.

"I think had he not choked on it, would he have got into an accident? I think not. If we were going to go around and giving tickets to everyone that is eating while going down the road, that is all we would be doing," Elliott said. "How often does someone who is eating something choke on that food to the point of losing consciousness? It is about a one-in-a-million chance of happening and it isn't the type of thing that you would take any enforcement action on."

Opper's patrol car received minor damage to the rear quarter panel when it struck the hydrant and the mailbox was broken in the crash, Fewins said.

The deputy had no prior history of traffic crashes while on duty and a blood-alcohol test showed alcohol was not a factor in the wreck, Fewins said.

Opper was on scheduled leave Thursday and is expected to return to road patrol later this week.

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