William Haines was hurt while helping to extricate local woman from damaged vehicle
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
Hopewell Township Administrator/Engineer Paul Pogorzelski has publicly thanked Hopewell Borough firefighter William Haines for his willingness to put himself at risk in order to help others.
On June 7, that willingness resulted in an injury to Mr. Haines, who has been a local volunteer for two years. He has since been treated at an area hospital and released.
As Mr. Pogorzelski noted during Monday night’s Township Committee meeting, Mr. Haines, 42, was among the emergency service respondents to a one-vehicle accident at 7:15 p.m., June 7. In that accident, an 18-year-old township woman — Sara Mughal, of Brookside Drive — was trapped in an SUV after it struck a utility pole on Pennington-Rocky Hill Road and flipped over.
Mr. Pogorzelski said the community is indebted to Mr. Haines and other emergency service workers, along with police and public works employees, who regularly “put themselves at risk” in order to help others.
Ms. Mughal was driving a 2000 Mercedes Benz SUV along Pennington-Rocky Hill Road west, near Moores Mill-Mount Rose Road, when the car ran off the roadway, struck a utility pole and then overturned, trapping her in the car.
Ms. Mughal was extricated by the Hopewell Fire Department and transported to Capital Health System, Fuld Campus, by the Hopewell Emergency Medical Unit. She was treated for a broken ankle and a broken wrist.
Firemen extricated Ms. Mughal by using the powerful jaws-of-life apparatus, which literally cuts the car open. It was during this operation that Hopewell firefighter Haines was injured “when a cutting tool failed and broke apart. Part of the blade from the tool struck Mr. Haines in the back, causing a deep cut,” police Lt. Lance Maloney said.
Mr. Haines was transported by the Pennington First Aid Squad to the University Medical Center at Princeton, where he was treated and later released.
Pennington-Rocky Hill Road was closed for a few hours while PSE&G repaired the downed utility pole. Ms. Mughal was issued summonses for careless driving and failing to wear a seat belt. Her case will be heard in Municipal Court.
Officer James Rosso was the investigating officer.