MARLBORO – AMarlboro police officer put aside his personal safety to save the life of a woman who was trapped in an overturned burning vehicle.
At about 4:16 a.m.May 21, Officer Gerald Arminio was dispatched to a call of an overturned vehicle on Route 520 in the area of Campus Drive.
Upon arriving at the scene, Arminio found a Chrysler minivan lying on its side and saw that the vehicle was on fire. Trapped inside the minivan was the female driver.
According to police, Arminio broke the driver’s-side window to reach the woman and pulled the woman from the burning minivan.
Marlboro police Lt. Steve Mennona said the vehicle struck a utility pole before overturning. He said wires from the utility pole fell onto the burning vehicle, fully engulfing it with flames just afterArminio had pulled the woman to safety.
The woman was treated and released from a local hospital. Police had not identified the woman as of press time.
“I believe Patrolman Arminio’s quick action and disregard for his own safety quite possibly saved her life,” Police Chief Robert Holmes said in a prepared statement.
Mennona said the department is proud of Arminio and said the officer’s “quick action and disregard for his own safety is admirable.”
The officer will be recommended for a lifesaving award, Mennona said.
The Robertsville Fire Department, the Morganville FirstAid Squad, theMarlboro First Aid Squad and MONOC emergency medical services responded to the accident.
The Marlboro Traffic and Safety Bureau is continuing to investigate the accident. Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact Patrolman Marrone at 732-536-0304.