Flemington first responders rescue passenger from truck wedged in trees

You rarely see headlines about ‘no parking’ violations, but emergency crews performed a technical rescue Friday afternoon to extricate a passenger from a pickup truck that was lodged several feet off the ground between trees after a crash.

The Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad, Raritan Township Fire Company, plus Hunterdon Medical Center paramedics were dispatched to State Highway 31 northbound at 4:26 p.m. for a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a tree.

Upon arrival, first responders found the truck suspended in the air between several trees after leaving the roadway.

The driver had self-extricated, but the passenger remained trapped inside due to injuries, according to a social media post from the rescue squad.

Crews from the rescue squad’s Heavy Rescue 495 unit used specialized struts to stabilize the vehicle and prevent it from shifting. They then placed a 14-foot roof ladder into the truck’s cab to carefully remove the passenger on a basket stretcher.

The patient was transferred to an ambulance for transport. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics provided medical care throughout the operation. The Raritan Township Police Department is investigating the crash.

A resident, Judy Smith, responded to the Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad’s social media post and said: “That is one strong little walnut tree holding up the back end of that truck. Doesn’t look damaged at all. What a bizarre twist of fate… I hope the passenger was OK that you freed.”

All emergency units cleared the scene within approximately an hour.