An 89-year-old township woman is thankful to be alive after a bank teller’s quick actions saved her from a car fire at the 1st Constitution Bank on Main Street April 10.
By Jenine Clancy, Special Writer
CRANBURY — An 89-year-old township woman is thankful to be alive after a bank teller’s quick actions saved her from a car fire at the 1st Constitution Bank on Main Street April 10.
Beatrice (Bea) Amend was getting money out of the bank under the drive up teller canopy at 2:50 p.m. when she noticed smoke coming out of the front hood of her 1989 Chevrolet Caprice.
”At first it was very little smoke,” said Amend, who planned on taking the car to her local mechanic once she left the bank. “But then it got worse, almost like a brush fire.”
Teller Ruby Singh, 33, noticed the smoke from inside the bank, ran outside and immediately pulled Ms. Amend out of the car, according to Gabriella Kovacs Vice President of 1st Constitution Bank.
According to Ms. Kovacs, Ms. Singh even went back to the smoking car and retrieved Amend’s walker and her pocketbook.
Ms. Singh and Ms. Amend then walked over to what Ms. Amend called a “safe spot” across the street, and minutes later watched the car erupt into flames.
Cranbury Police Lt. Michael Owens, Officer Jeffrey Morley and Officer Robert Giaccone were first to arrive on the scene, according to a press release from the Cranbury Police.
The press release said Officer Morley retrieved the fire extinguisher from his patrol vehicle while Officer Giaccone circled his own patrol vehicle around the building and entered the drive up lane, positioning his car behind the burning automobile.
In what can only be described like something out of an action movie, Officer Giaccone performed a “vehicle power push” and applied enough force with his car to push the Chevy Caprice away from the building, and rested it safely in the middle of the road on Westminster Place, according to police.
Officer Giaccone then found himself in between the blazing car and the burning canopy behind him. The only way to get out was to reverse through the flames.
Ms. Amend said of all things to be scared about she was most concerned about Officer Giaccone.
”My biggest fear was the car might explode and that may have been the end of him,” she said.
Officer Morley then extinguished the flames to both Ms. Amend’s vehicle and the burning canopy, which was beginning to compromise the side of the bank building and the ATM, police said.
Both Cranbury and Hightstown Fire Departments then responded and took control of the scene, police said.
Neither the officers or Ms. Amend were injured during the incident and she returned home after the fire, police said.
Everyone from inside the bank was evacuated during the incident.
Though the events seemed to take a long stretch of time, Ms. Amend said it all happened very quickly.
”They had that fire out in two minutes.” said Ms. Amend. “I am just thankful for everyone’s cooperation.”
”She was definitely a hero,” Ms. Kovacs said of Ms. Singh.
She said Ms. Singh just finished nursing school.
”She is going to be a fantastic nurse; she was just very calm; just really took control of the woman,” Ms. Kovacs said.
When asked for comment from Ms. Singh, the Cranbury Press was told by the president of the bank that Ms. Kovacs would be speaking on her behalf.
Ms. Amend, who is a retired nurse, said she probably would have rescued someone like herself when she was younger.
”I can’t thank her enough,” she said.
Ms. Amend said her vehicle is “toast” but she has many friends and neighbors who are helping her and taking her places, like the food store.
”I’ve got a lot of support,” she said.