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West High student honored for quick action that saved the life of an injured motorist

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Felix Ortiz is honored during Senate floor time. Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake, presented a citation to the West High School student for his heroic actions in saving the life of a man who suffered a medical emergency and crashed his car. Ortiz initiated CPR on the victim at the scene of the Feb. 19 crash.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Felix Ortiz is honored during Senate floor time. Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake, presented a citation to the West High School student for his heroic actions in saving the life of a man who suffered a medical emergency and crashed his car. Ortiz initiated CPR on the victim at the scene of the Feb. 19 crash.

Felix Ortiz, a West High School junior, was honored Thursday on the floor of the Utah Senate for his quick action to save the life of a car-crash victim in Salt Lake City earlier this week.

Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, presented a citation to honor Ortiz.

The young hero on Tuesday pulled over at a crash on the 600 north on-ramp to northbound I-15, where a car had flipped over. Approaching the car before first responders arrived, Ortiz spotted a man inside who had started to foam at the mouth and turn purple.

Without hesitation, Ortiz pulled the man — who had suffered a medical emergency before crashing — from the car and checked for a pulse. Not finding one, he performed CPR – the first time he had done so on a person after taking a class on the procedure.

He was able to get the man breathing and he was taken to the hospital.

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