Two civilians helped pulled a Bayonne man out of the Newark Bay near Stephen R. Gregg Park on Tuesday after he accidentally drove his car into the water, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On Tuesday at approximately 5:20 p.m., a Hudson County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit on patrol at Gregg Park was approached by park goers who indicated that a vehicle entered Newark Bay, Schillari said in a statement.
The sheriff’s K-9 officer arrived on scene to find a Subaru Forester in the Newark Bay sinking rapidly. As the officer prepared to render assistance, numerous citizens were on the rocky shore and in the water assisting in pulling the driver out of his vehicle.
The driver, Joseph Kadian, 68, Bayonne, was pulled out of the vehicle by Anthony Capuano, of Elizabeth, who was assisted by Marcelino Cruz, of Jersey City.
CBS reported that Capuano is a certified life guard and an amputee with one leg.
The sheriff’s K-9 officer assisted the driver to the awaiting McCabe ambulance for further evaluation. He was looked at by EMT’s and released on the scene.
After an investigation and speaking with Kadian, it was determined that while pulling over to answer a call and attempting to park, the driver lost control of the vehicle and simultaneously had his foot on both the brake and accelerator pedals.
This caused him to accelerate the vehicle into the bay. In addition to the vehicle in the bay, there was damage to the fence post and rails where the vehicle entered the water.
Multiple agencies assisted and responded to this incident including the Bayonne Fire and Police Departments, the Bayonne Office of Emergency Management, as well as New Jersey State Police Marine and Aviation units.
New Jersey State Police divers confirmed that there were no additional victims inside the sunken vehicle.
“I would like to thank all our mutual aid partners for their quick response and to the community members who risked their lives to help save Mr. Kadian,” Schillari added.
