Woman Pinned in Car Thanks 'Heroes' in Wayland Fire Department

Pam Mauer was driving to her Wayland home after dropping off her elderly parents Sunday night when a loud crack caught her attention.

Mauer said she looked up in time to see a large tree in the woods along Woodridge Road catch in the power lines above before crashing into her car, caving in the roof of her Nissan and pinning her inside.

“It was in slow motion," Mauer said Monday. "I saw the tree coming towards me. There was a big impact, and then I realized, 'I’m alive.'"

Mauer managed to dial 911 on her cell phone and told the operator that a tree had fallen on her car and she was pinned inside. The situation, however, was about to get worse.

Mauer said after her call for help, sparks started to fly. By the time, firefighters arrived -- just four minutes after the initial call -- the driver's compartment was on fire.

According to Wayland Deputy Fire Chief David Houghton, firefighters quickly assessed the situation given that electrical wires were involved and initially put out the flames with fire extinguishers.

When the flames returned, however, Mauer said they began spraying down the scene with a fire hose.

“I’ve never felt so wonderful being hosed down," Mauer said, laughing. She said she had angels on her shoulder with "very big wings and a big fire hose.”

Firefighters extracted Mauer from the car and sent her to Beth Israel Medical Center for evaluation within 16 minutes of the initial call for help. By Monday morning, Mauer was back at her Wayland home with some all over aches, but no burns or significant injuries.

"I wasn’t burned," Mauer said. "I was sitting in the middle of the fire. They cut my clothes off and said they were burned, but I’m not burned. I’m so lucky. When you find yourself in a situation like that -- to be trapped in a car, surrounded by flames with no way out -- I'm so lucky that these heroes arrived.

"I want to praise the Wayland Fire Department," she continued. "I’m so grateful to the Wayland rescuers for getting me out of that burning car. I'm happy to be alive."

Houghton estimated that the fallen tree was about 3 feet in diameter and was completely rotted through at its base.