Man credits Apple Watch for helping save his life

By DAVID SCHUMAN

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    EAGAN, Minnesota (WCCO) — The victim of a hit-and-run crash is calling his Apple Watch his guardian angel.

“It absolutely is a life-saving tool,” said Michael Brodkorb, who was hit in front of his driveway in Eagan last month.

Brodkorb was on a call when a car peeled out nearby.

“Took a few steps out into the street and the car came around the corner and just hit me,” he said. “I just was shocked. I mean, just the sheer force of what it’s like to get hit by a vehicle.”

The car never stopped, leaving Brodkorb badly hurt.

“The Apple Watch knew that I had taken a hard fall and that I wasn’t responding in a specific amount of time, so the watch called 911,” he said.

It also texted his wife and kids in the house telling them what happened.

“I laid there, and my family had to come out and find me,” Brodkorb said. “That’s a difficult scenario.”

Eagan police say the driver was a 17-year-old boy whose family reached out to the department after the crash. Officers have interviewed the teenager and are finishing their investigation before a charging decision can be made.

“There’s clearly a criminal element to this,” Brodkorb said. “This was dangerous.”

As Brodkorb’s ribs and tailbone recover, he’s received support from family, friends, and even the CEO of Apple.

Brodkorb sent an email to Tim Cook explaining what happened, not expecting a response, but Cook wrote back.

“[He] wished me a speedy recovery and let me know that this is why they design these type of features,” he said.

Brodkorb says this was also an example of how social media can be used for good. Online sleuths helped identify the vehicle after he posted a picture of it.

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