Heroic Rescue: Paramus Officer Pulls Driver from Overturned SUV Near Bergen Town Center
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, a routine Tuesday evening commute turned into a life-saving mission for one Paramus police officer. On March 10, a dramatic rollover crash near the Bergen Town Center left a driver trapped inside a mangled SUV, sparking a rapid emergency response that likely prevented a much worse outcome.
Here are the details of the heroic rescue on Forest Avenue and the current status of the investigation.
The Crash: A Left Turn Ends in a Rollover
The incident began just before 8:30 p.m. near the busy intersection of Forest Avenue and the entrance to the Bergen Town Center. According to Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti, a 60-year-old woman from Hackensack was operating a Honda SUV and attempting to make a left-hand turn at a traffic signal.
As she turned, her vehicle was struck by another car traveling southbound. The force of the impact was significant enough to flip the Honda, leaving it resting on its roof with the driver suspended upside down by her seatbelt.
The Rescue: Officer Hugo Rodriguez Springs into Action
Paramus Police Officer Hugo Rodriguez was the first to arrive on the scene. Facing a potentially volatile situation with an overturned vehicle, Rodriguez acted quickly:
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Vehicle Access: He managed to force open the jammed door of the SUV.
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The Extraction: Working carefully, he freed the driver from her seatbelt and successfully pulled her from the wreckage.
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Medical Care: The driver was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center reporting various pains, but she is expected to recover.
“Officer Rodriguez’s quick thinking allowed the driver to exit the vehicle safely before the situation could escalate,” Chief Guidetti noted.
Investigation Ongoing
As of Wednesday morning, Paramus police are still investigating the exact cause of the collision. While the impact caused the rollover, officers are looking into signal timings and vehicle speeds at the time of the crash.
No charges have been filed yet, and the identity of the southbound driver has not been released.
Safety Tip: Navigating Forest Avenue
The area surrounding Bergen Town Center is one of the highest-traffic zones in Bergen County. Local authorities remind drivers to:
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Yield on Lefts: Always double-check oncoming southbound traffic, even when the light is yellow.
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Stay Alert: High-density shopping areas often have frequent lane changes and sudden stops.
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Tags: #Paramus #BergenCounty #HeroicRescue #TrafficAlert #ParamusPolice #NJNews #BergenTownCenter
