KEARNY –
As motor vehicle accidents go, the one pictured here may not appear very serious. But appearances are deceiving. This Hickory St. crash put a driver in a life-threatening situation, police reported.
At about 5 p.m., June 21, Officer Frank West responded to the 400 block of Hickory, where a ‘95 Buick was reported to have hit an unoccupied, parked SUV. Police said he found the Buick’s driver, a 69-year-old Kearny woman, incapacitated and unconscious in the locked auto, its engine still running.
After summoning an ambulance and the Kearny Fire Department, West and Officers Jay Ward and Jordenson Jean tried to gain access to the car and had to break its windows to reach the victim. West immediately began CPR. When EMS and the KPD arrived, they helped remove her from the vehicle to render further aid, including use of a defibrillator, police said.
An ALS (Advanced Life Support) unit was also called and stabilized the victim at the scene before transporting her to Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville for treatment.
Police Chief John Dowie reported that West, Ward and Jean all suffered lacerations from smashing the Buick’s windows but required no medical assistance and remained on duty.
– Karen Zautyk
