N. Merrick F.D. rescues 5 after Meadowbrook Parkway crash

North Merrick firefighters used the Jaws of Life to rip the roof and doors off a car to get at passengers who were trapped inside the vehicle after they ran off a northbound lane of the Meadowbrook Parkway on Sept. 7 around 4:30 p.m., according to James Rogers, the North Merrick Fire Department chief.

Two cars, in fact, skidded off the thoroughfare and crashed into trees in the woods after they were cut off by a third vehicle, which continued north on the Meadowbrook without stopping, Rogers said.

In all, five people, including a Merrick family, were hurt in the crash, according to the chief.

Both cars hit trees. In one of the vehicles, two victims were pinned inside, requiring extrication. Removing the two from their car took about 10 minutes, Rogers said, adding that the northbound side of the Meadowbrook Parkway was shut down throughout the 20-minute rescue operation.

Twenty-five North Merrick firefighters aided in the call, along with another 10 from the Merrick and Roosevelt fire departments, as well as members of the Nassau County Emergency Services Department.

All five victims were rushed by ambulance to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Rogers said. There was no further word on their condition.