A single car crash on the Etra Road left the driver and one of two passengers trapped in their vehicle early Tuesday morning.
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
EAST WINDSOR — A single car crash on the Etra Road left the driver and one of two passengers trapped in their vehicle early Tuesday morning.
According to police, the accident occurred at 8:24 a.m. on Etra Road in the area of the Feldsher Road.
”Upon police arrival, it was observed that the vehicle had traveled off the roadway and had struck a tree,” said Lt. James Geary, Uniform Services Operations Commander of the East Windsor Township Police Department.
Jimmie Lee Howell, 65, of Randolph, West Virginia was driving a gold 2003 Buick and struck a tree after traveling off the roadway, according to police.
”The driver was pinned (inside) and we had to stabilize the vehicle,” said Chief Scott Jenkins of Hightstown Engine Co. No. 1. “We stabilized the vehicle first. We got the battery cables cut.”
Next, the fire departments worked to cut the door.
”We cut the door and the B post and we took out the windshield,” Deputy Chief Jenkins said adding that they were then able to free the driver from the wreck.
”It was a combined effort of all three fire companies,” Deputy Chief Jenkins said.
Hightstown Engine Co. No. 1 and East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 handled the “cutting” while East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 did “suppression.”
”Everything worked very well between all of us working together,” Deputy Chief Jenkins said. “I believe within 10 minutes of us starting the cutting we got the elderly male patient out of the driver’s side.”
The road was shut down for some time while the responding emergency services personnel removed the driver and passenger from the vehicle.
”The driver of the vehicle and the front seat passenger were removed from the vehicle by responding fire and EMS personnel,” Lt. Geary said.
The passenger door opened without “any problems,” according to Deputy Chief Jenkins.
”The (victim) in the passenger seat we were able to get out without a problem,” Deputy Chief Jenkins said adding that that person was not “trapped.”
Mr. Howell and his two passengers, Patricia Guenette, 53, Elkins, West Virginia and Destiny Guenette, 21, also from Elkins, were transported to Helene Fuld Medical Center in Trenton with non-life threatening injuries, according to Lt. Geary.
”We did try to call the mede-vac (helicopter),” Deputy Chief Jenkins said adding it was unable to fly due to the weather.
The vehicle was towed from the scene, police said.
The East Windsor police department, East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, Hightstown Engine Co. No. 1, Robbinsville Township EMS, Cranbury Township EMS and Capital Health Systems EMS paramedics responded to the scene to assist with the accident.
The East Windsor Township Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit and the Serious Collision Response Team of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office are conducting an investigation into the cause of the one-vehicle accident, police said.