Life-saving traffic stop! South Carolina woman diagnosed with brain tumor after being apprehended by cops who thought she was drunk: She suffered a headache that turned out to be malignant
- The case dates back to Dec. 2, when police were called to U.S. Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant amid reports that the driver, Tamara Hall, was driving erratically
- Once stopped, Hall told the two Mount Pleasant officers that she was suffering from a debilitating headache caused by the then-undiscovered tumor.
- Suspecting the woman was in the midst of a medical emergency, officers took her to a nearby hospital where she underwent life-saving surgery.
A woman thanks her lucky stars that she was stopped by police last year on suspicion of drunkenness after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor at a traffic control that doctors said could have killed her if left unchecked.
On December 2, police were called to U.S. Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina amid reports that the driver – Tamara Hall – was driving erratically, swerving and repeatedly hitting the shoulder.
Once stopped, Hall told the two Mount Pleasant police officers that she was suffering from a debilitating headache.
At first, officers thought the woman was intoxicated, but the officers soon discovered that Hall was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Suspecting that the woman was in the midst of a medical emergency, the officers took her to a hospital for examination, where she was diagnosed with the malignant brain tumor, requiring immediate surgery.
The case dates back to Dec. 2, when police were called to U.S. Highway 17 North in Mount Pleasant amid reports that the driver, Tamara Hall, was driving erratically, leading officers to pull her over on suspicion of drunk driving. At the time, Hall told officers she had a headache

Mount Pleasant police shared the woman’s story in a heartwarming post on the police’s Facebook page Wednesday, revealing she had recently met with officers to express her gratitude for likely saving her life
Now on the mend, Hall credits the quick-thinking cops for saving her life – and recently met with them to thank her.
The Mount Pleasant Police Department shared the woman’s story in a heartwarming post on the police’s Facebook page, revealing that she had recently contacted the officers who likely saved her life.
“On February 19, 2023, Ms. Palmer contacted the Mount Pleasant Police Department for a follow-up,” a police representative wrote Wednesday.
“She stated that once she got to the hospital, they found a brain tumor,” the post continued.
Hall then told police she had been treated in hospital and “undergo an 8-hour procedure immediately.”
Today, officers wrote that Hall is “doing a great job” — and she even personally came to the Mount Pleasant Police Department to thank her for the officers, whom she now considers rescuers.
‘ Ms. Palmer believes these officers absolutely saved her life,” the post continued, identifying the police officers who pulled Palmer over as a possible drunk driver as Patrolman First Class James Aton and Patrolmen First Class Raymond Schoonmaker.
“Without their quick analysis of the situation,” the department wrote, “the outcome could have turned out differently.”
As for Hall, the officers said, she is now fine and on the road to recovery. Aton and Schoonmaker, meanwhile, are praised for their exploits by residents of the Charleston suburb.
The department has not released video of the December encounter, in which officers called Palmer an ambulance after determining she was experiencing an episode.