Essex County Car Crash; Totowa Woman Pinned To Salon Wall: Cops

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An Essex County woman struck a 60-year-old Totowa resident while driving in Fairfield on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The driver, an 81-year-old woman from Fairfield, crashed into a local hair salon and pinned the pedestrian between her car and the building, causing her serious injuries, authorities said.

According to the Fairfield Police Department, the crash took place around 10 a.m. on Monday at the Hair Core salon, located in a strip mall at 390 Fairfield Road. After receiving a 911 call that a vehicle crashed into the salon, officers arrived on the scene to find the pinned pedestrian amid the crash debris.

Fairfield officers and EMS from Atlantic Ambulance were able to extricate the pedestrian and transport her to a nearby hospital. The victim, whose identity was withheld pending notification to her family, suffered injuries to her lower extremities. Her full condition was not known, police said Monday.

Fairfield police stated in a release:

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the pedestrian had just exited the salon and was in front of the store when she was struck by a 2015 Volkswagen operated by an 81-year-old female from Fairfield. It is still unclear as to what caused the vehicle to strike the pedestrian and go into the building with such force.”

Medical personnel checked the driver at the scene. She refused any further treatment, police said.

“It does not appear that the driver suffered any medical condition at the time of the crash,” Fairfield police stated.

Authorities impounded the vehicle pending an examination to determine if there were any mechanical issues. The Fairfield Fire Department and officials from the township’s building department later determined that the building was “structurally sound” and can be inhabited.

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Photos: Fairfield Police Department