A Minnesota state trooper pulled over a doctor but only to give him medical masks, turning a speeding ticket into a special act of kindness.
Cardiologist Dr. Sarosh Ashraf Janjua, designated at a coronavirus quarantine unit in Duluth, was pulled over by Trooper Brian Schwartz for speeding on March 21.
"Well I was speeding, and not on my way to work but away from it, so no excuses there," Dr. Janjua said.
"(Schwartz) was very polite, but quite firm, and told me I shouldn't be speeding because, if I got into an accident, I would not only take away precious resources but also wouldn't be in a position to help anyone," she added.
Along with the masks, Schwartz left her a firm warning for speeding.
Janjua burst into tears. "And though it may just have been the cold wind, I think he teared up a little as well, before wishing me well and walking away," Janjua said on Facebook.
A traffic stop worth remembering, the doctor was on a trip toward Minneapolis for a break on March 21 when she was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 35.
The trooper told Janjua that she should have known better and got hold of her license to his patrol car.
Janjua thanked Schwartz for his act of kindness amid the coronavirus outbreak in a Facebook post.
The cardiologist was working on temporary assignment in the area, she was pulled over because she was driving over the speed limit. Schwartz told her it was an "irresponsible" act because resources would be taken up if she got into an accident and her patients are worth considering.
Driving south on I-35 around a week ago, Janjua caught herself in deep thinking while behind the wheel.
In a Facetime interview, she said it was very isolating and scary treating suspected novel coronavirus cases on Tuesday. "I was replaying the steps in my mind about my gown and mask properly silently questioning if I was going to be OK."
Janjua mentioned that the complete stranger, who owed her nothing and is more on the front lines than she was shared his precious masks with her, without her asking.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the law enforcement officer felt compelled to offer the doctor his medical masks after seeing apparently two used N-95 masks in Janjua's purse that he presumed she was reusing.
The doctor said there were no excuses for her speeding. "Well, I was speeding, and not on my way to work but away from it, so no excuses there."
The officer only offered her a warning.
"Before I knew it, Trooper Schwartz reached into my vehicle and, I thought he was just going to hand me my license back, but it turns out it was five N95 masks from his own supply that the state had given him," she said.
The N-95 respirator masks that medical workers need to protect themselves while taking care of COVID-19 coronavirus patients are in an alarming short supply.
