MONROE – A police officer and firefighters helped save the life of a woman who was trapped inside her vehicle when it caught fire.
A 74-year-old woman from Old Bridge was traveling north on Spotswood-Englishtown Road in Monroe around 1:22 p.m. April 10, according to information provided by the Monroe Township Police Department.
Her 2012 Ford Escape reportedly left the roadway to the right and struck traffic signs and a mailbox. The vehicle then reentered the road, continued to travel north, and left the roadway to the right again, police said.
The vehicle then became airborne, according to reports, and struck a utility pole, snapping it 2-3 feet off the ground. The SUV then rolled onto its driver’s side, slid into a tree and came to a final, uncontrolled rest.
The utility pole landed on top of the vehicle, and the wires began to arc and catch fire, police said.
The woman was trapped in the vehicle as the vehicle’s undercarriage began to catch fire, according to the statement.
Police Officer Daniel Lang arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. The woman was extricated from her vehicle by Monroe Township Fire Department personnel.
The woman was transported to Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge by the Monroe Township First Aid Squad. She suffered non-life threatening injuries to her wrist and arm, according to police.
Police are investigating why the vehicle left the roadway. Anyone with information should call Officer Daniel Mosakowski of the Monroe Township Traffic Safety Division at 732-521-0222, ext. 242.