Albert Johnson almost died when he passed out behind the wheel of his car.
The 77-year-old Fairfax man smashed into a light pole just five years ago after going to the gym and having a cup of coffee at a local restaurant. Once he left the café on April 17, driving west on Route 29, he passed out at the wheel.
“My heart had stopped functioning due to an arrhythmia problem,” he said. “The location, though, was probably pretty good because the police were, you know, there on the street.”
Johnson told WTOP he smashed into a poll across from the old Paul VI High School campus — his foot was still against the accelerator and the tires were spinning, giving off smoke.
That’s when a Fairfax City police officer sprang into action. Paul said the police officer was first to the scene and came up to his car just moments after it happened.
“He had to break into the car, get the window open, drag me out and started CPR,” Johnson said.
A camera in the car recorded the crash and, he said, the video showed smoke pouring out of the vehicle just moments after the crash. However, Johnson said he didn’t understand all that had happened during the crash until seven days later, when he woke up from a coma.
Now, Johnson spends the anniversary of the crash, which he calls his second birthday, thanking the first responders who saved him.
The first time he decided to commemorate the incident and his recovery was during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I didn’t feel like I could go to the grocery store and pick something up, make cookies with my own hands … so I decided to order them in,” Johnson said.
Since then, the Virginian has dropped off snacks and cookies to thank police and fire personnel in the city who saved him that day.
Five years ago, a City of Fairfax resident suffered a medical emergency at a local business. Officers and members of the City of Fairfax Fire Department responded to the scene and provided life saving measures. The resident is fully recovered and drops off goodies every year. pic.twitter.com/OZQANjvrhR
— Fairfax City Police (@FairfaxCityPD) April 17, 2024
When asked if he plans to continue celebrating this “second birthday” with the city police, Johnson said he definitely will do so.
“Oh yes, I certainly intend to. Every year around the end of March I start thinking, ‘Gosh, April’s coming up. I need to get those cookies,'” he said.
Johnson said his health has improved since the crash. He’s added exercise to his routine and kept working to stay in good health.
“I’m just awfully glad I live here in the City of Fairfax where there’s policemen coming back and forth and they were there to help me,” he said. “And I’m glad I tried to stay in shape.”
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