Four Sent to Hospital after 4-Car Crash; Medical Issue to Blame, Police Say
Franklin Avenue closed following afternoon accident
Photos
Four people were transported to Valley Hospital following a four car accident on Franklin Avenue just before noon on Thursday, according to Wyckoff Police.
A man driving a Ford F250 pick-up truck went into insulin shock and slammed into three vehicles near the intersection of Franklin and Quackenbush avenues, shutting down traffic west of Wyckoff Avenue until 1 p.m.
Wyckoff Police received a call from the Waldwick Police Department just before noon on Thursday regarding an erratic driver heading from Waldwick into Wyckoff.
Lieutenant Charlie Van Dyk jumped into his cruiser and headed toward the intersection of Franklin and Wyckoff avenues where he caught up with the driver in the F250 pick-up truck, he said.
The driver stopped at the light, but then proceeded west on Franklin Avenue and started accelerating, Van Dyk said.
The pick-up kept traveling west even after Van Dyk flipped on lights and sirens of his unmarked police vehicle.
"I though I had a drunk," Van Dyk said. "Just as I caught up to him he accelerated and went [left] into the opposite lane of traffic."
As the massive pick-up truck veered toward oncoming traffic, quick thinking drivers had just enough time to swerve out of the way and avoid a head-on collision.
"Those cars saw him coming," said Van Dyk.
The F250 sideswiped a Ford Windstar and an Audi SUV, taking out the left sides of both vehicles, according to police. After losing some speed the pick-up collided with a Buick LeSabre driven by a 91-year-old woman then veered off to left side of the road and came to a stop, Van Dyk said.
Two women in the Windstar were transported to Valley Hospital with neck and back injuries.
A woman and a child in a car seat were in the Audi when the accident occurred; the woman was transported to Valley Hospital with a neck injury and the child was uninjured.
The 91-year-old woman was uninjured; Van Dyk transported her back to her home.
The driver of the F250 was also transported to Valley Hospital.
"It looks like all the cars are totaled," Van Dyk said.
No summonses have been issued at this time, but the accident is still under investigation, Van Dyk said.
AML
6:10 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS OK! THERE SHOULD BE MORE STRINGENT RULES REAGARDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CERTAIN KNOWN MEDICAL ISSUES. AS DIFFICULT AS IT MAY SOUND...PERHAPS, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE AS THEY ARE PUTTING INNOCENT LIVES AT RISK. IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL/SLIGHT RISK OF GETTING SICK WHILE DRIVING, THEN THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE,
John Margroff
8:41 am on Friday, January 27, 2012
Unfortunately many accidents are caused by those not having previous health issues such as sudden heart attacks, strokes, unforeseen blood pressure issues. sleep depriavtion and many more. If we could prognose these issues priorly, with people who have no prior medical problems, we would have less accidents and longer lives. How many times have we heard someone who has just had testing walks out of the doctors office and has a sudden heart attack.
ctrnj
6:36 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
@Anna Leone: It would be much more acceptable not to use the word "innocent" because the antonym of innocent is guilty. The person who has a medical problem which presented in this accident is not guilty of anything. Perhaps they never knew they had a medical issue before this accident. Any health issue is usually stated on the person's drivers license. I know in New Jersey it is, and I'm sure it's it's nationally required.
I hope no one suffered any serious injuries.
alejandra Friedman
7:27 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Well said Ctmj! It was an ACCIDENT! Nobody is guilty here.