A New Jersey car crash on Route 29 leaves one man fatally injured despite the efforts of several passersby who desperately tried to free him from his burning vehicle.
At approximately 2:45 p.m. on February 22, 43-year-old Barry Gray, of Bordentown, lost control of his 1996 Dodge Avenger under the railroad bridge at Lower Ferry and River roads in Ewing.
No one witnessed the actual crash nor did any passersby investigate the burning vehicle on the side of the road until rental property manager Brent Zajac stopped.
As he tried to get through to 9-1-1, vehicles kept passing the burning vehicle with Gray trapped inside. After wrongly being transferred to Bucks County police, he finally got the request for help to Ewing fire and police; however, by the time they arrived it was too late.
While waiting for help from the police and fire departments, other vehicles pulled over to assist. Zajac was joined by retired disabled beer truck driver Mark Zegarski, gas truck driver Janos Barna, off-duty Trenton Police Officer Doug Moreland, and New Jersey State Trooper Chris Vozzo from the State Police training academy at Sea Girt.
The five men went into the heavy smoke and desperately tried to free Gray from the fully flamed-engulfed vehicle, but it was not possible. The door was stuck shut and his crushed legs were trapped in the wreckage.
This horrific accident ranks amongst the worst moments of Zajac’s life, as he was also a witness of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. At that time, he lived in a 65-story apartment across from the World Trade Center. He witnessed the second place crash into the building and saw people jump to their deaths after the crash.
The Pennsylvania accident attorneys at Cordisco & Saile would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Barry Gray, as well as thank the five men who attempted to free him from the vehicle.
