Albany

An alternate juror sitting on the trial of Tyler Pascuzzi collapsed and went into cardiac arrest Wednesday in open court, but received life-saving aid from a town of Guilderland paramedic supervisor who happened to be testifying at just the right time, officials said.

The juror, a woman whose name was not released, collapsed around 2:15 p.m., prompting Albany County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Collins to run to the first-floor, grab a defibrillator and return to the third-floor courtroom of state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Breslin, where the trial is taking place.

Luckily for the juror, the witness stand was occupied by Bonnie-Jean Johnson, the supervisor of paramedics for the town of Guilderland. Johnson used the defibrillator to resuscitate the juror, who was taken to an area hospital.

"She immediately did what she does and saved the lady's life," Sheriff Craig Apple told the Times Union. "Good timing."

Apple said it was "literally a blessing of quick thinking by the deputy and a blessing that the paramedic was there."

In April 2015, Johnson accepted the Presidents Award For Exemplary Public Engagement from the University at Albany on behalf of Guilderland emergency medical service workers for "providing exemplary publicly engaged service in the form of quality emergency medical assistance and health education and training to the University at Albany and surrounding communities," according to a Facebook post by the Guilderland Police Department.

"I'm not surprised at all," Guilderland Police Chief Carol Lawlor said of Johnson's heroics. "She's been with us a long time and she's very, very good at what she does and I'm proud of what she did today."

Pascuzzi is on trial charged with killing Alicia Tamboia, 24, of Wingdale, Dutchess County, and Cody Veverka, 23, of Cairo, in a July 4, 2014 crash while allegedly driving 151 mph and with blood alcohol of 0.18 — more than twice the 0.08 legal limit. Johnson testified about her work attending to Pascuzzi's injuries after the crash on the state Thruway in Guilderland about 11:40 p.m.

Pascuzzi, 27, formerly of Colonie, whose trial began Monday, is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated driving while intoxicated, DWI and reckless driving.

Attorney Stephen Coffey, who along with attorney Michael McDermott is representing Pascuzzi, said the defense does not plan to ask for a mistrial because of the emergency.

The woman, one of three alternate jurors on the case, is not expected to return.

rgavin@timesunion.com • 518-434-2403 • @RobertGavinTU