Good Samaritans honored by West Milford officials

Two good Samaritans who were driving behind a vehicle that rolled over in front of them on Route 23 north took immediate action to help the injured driver. They were praised and recognized for their action by West Milford Mayor Michele Dale and the Township of West Milford Council at a recent local governing board meeting. The driver was alone in the vehicle when the early afternoon accident happened.

A police report said that on June 5 at 12:30 p.m. Hannah Vanwoudenberg, an ER technician, and Joseph Maynard, an EMT, found the driver upside down in the vehicle and held by a seatbelt. The victim had been communicating with Vanwoudenberg and Maynard as they assessed his injuries and complaints of pain immediately after the vehicle crashed.

Before the police and emergency responders could reach the scene, the victim became unresponsive and stopped breathing, Mayor Dale said as she read a report of the incident. Officers Charles McQuaid, Matthew Lattanzi and Peter Wunk arrived and were able to remove the victim from the vehicle.

With no pulse found, Vanwoudenberg and Maynard immediately initiated CPR while the police officers gathered and set up their oxygen and defibrillator units, the mayor continued. A combined effort of lifesaving measures was continued until arrival of BLS and ALS professionals, who took over care of the victim.

Mayor Dale said the injured person was then transported to St. Joseph Medical Center and is recovering from the injuries suffered in the accident. She gave high praise to the two good Samaritans for the life-saving assistance they provided.