June 2005

Blaze devours two-story Old Bridge home
Source: John Majeski/The Home News Tribune, June 9, 2005 Photos: Jody Sommers/The Home News Tribune

A Karl Drive home in Old Bridge was destroyed yesterday afternoon after a fire started in the basement of the one-family, two-story home. Three South Old Bridge Fire Department firefighters at the scene were taken to Raritan Bay Medical Center's Old Bridge Division to be treated for heat exhaustion, Lt. Chester Popek said. The firefighters were Robert Karmel, Scott Nielsen and Alex Hamburger, Popek said. The fire is not considered suspicious. An adult and child were at home at the time and were able to escape, Popek said. In the photo at left, firefighter Dennis Cahill cools off, while below, an unidentified firefighter waits outside a second-floor window.

Fiery crash on Pike
Source: The Star-Ledger, June 3, 2005 Photo: Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger

Firefighters rushed to the New Jersey Turnpike late last night following a fiery multivehicle crash involving three tractor-trailers and a car under the Ford Avenue overpass in Woodbridge. The 11:45 p.m. accident forced the closure of the southbound truck lanes, as firefighters worked into the early morning to extinguish the blaze. State Police said preliminary reports were of at least one fatality.

Officer, neighbor save girl from fire: 5-year-old pulled through a window
Source: Patrick Jenkins/The Star-Ledger, June 1, 2005

A neighbor and a Woodbridge Township police officer pulled a 5-year-old girl from her burning apartment while other officers helped her injured aunt to safety, police said yesterday. Authorities are crediting Ramon Santillana of Walter Drive with saving the life of Julia Rosasdelavega of 38 Walter Drive during a fire Saturday morning, according to township officer Dominick Rossetti. ‘‘He is a hero,’’ said Julia’s mother, Edith Rosasdelavega. ‘‘Ramon saved Julia.’’ Rosasdelavega said she had gone shopping Saturday and left Julia and her year-old son , Sammy, with her sister Rosaria Quispialaya in her nearby Walter Drive apartment. ‘‘Rosaria didn’t know how it started, but when it did start in the living room, she got Sammy out and was going to go back in and get Julia, but she couldn’t,’’ Rosasdelavega said. Her sister screamed in Spanish about the girl, but the police who were helping her couldn’t understand completely , she added. At that point, Santillana came by and saw what was happening. Even though he only speaks Spanish, he managed to convey to police the child was inside, Rosasdelavega said, and both he and Rossetti teamed up to save her. Rossetti said when he arrived on the scene in response to the 10:12 a.m. alarm, he saw officer Hector Jones at the front door of the apartment helping Quispialaya out. The apartment’s front bay window was blown out, and heavy dark smoke was pouring from it, Rossetti said. Quispialaya was bleeding profusely from her right forearm, and her left hand was burned, Rossetti said. Jones next used a light bar to smash in the back door, but he couldn’t get in. Officers at the front door also couldn’t get inside because of the heat and smoke, but by that time they could hear Julia crying out, Rossetti said. At that point, Santillana ran to a front bedroom window and called the girl to him, Rossetti said. When she arrived, Santillana and Rossetti broke the window and lifted the girl out. Rossetti then told Santillana to take Julia and Quispialaya away from the building. They received first aid until the Port Reading and Woodbridge first aid squads arrived and took them to Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, where they were treated for their injuries, Rossetti said. Julia suffers from a heart condition and recently had surgery, he said, adding a tracheotomy tube was still in her throat. Both Quispialaya and Julia were released after treatment Saturday, a hospital spokes-woman said. Rossetti said he will recommend Santillana for a civilian lifesaving award. Rosasdelavega said Julia is doing well, despite the complications from her heart condition, and Sammy was unharmed. Her sister is healing from her physical wounds but is now very nervous, she added.

Small fire damages school field house
Source: The Star-Ledger, June 1, 2005

WOODBRIDGE: The field house at the John F. Kennedy High School in Iselin was damaged by a small fire, police said yesterday. The officer who responded around 6 p.m. Monday saw a small fire burning next to the exterior cement wall of the building and used the extinguisher in his patrol car to put it out. Damage was limited to the exterior wall coating. Witnesses told police that they saw five male teens and a female teen running from the site and fleeing in a red Hyundai and a light blue Chrysler.