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The 22-year-old Mosquito Squad driver from Basking Ridge apparently looked down at his GPS and looked up too late to avoid hitting the curb, uprooting a fire hydrant and toppling the guy-wire pole on Oradell Avenue at Terrace Drive at 10:20 a.m. May 25, Paramus Police Sgt. Todd Colaianni said.
The driver refused medical treatment, Colaianni said, but Bergen Brookside Auto Body & Towing had to remove his pickup on a flatbed.
Meanwhile, the cross-trained members of the police department's ESU grabbed their chainsaws.
"The training makes it easier to clean up certain scenes," said Colaianni, who's a member of the special squad.
Comprised of officers from the patrol, detective and operations divisions, the ESU responds to all high-risk calls and critical incidents, deals with emotionally disturbed citizens, responds to active shooter calls and works alongside firefighters, EMS workers and rescue personnel, among a myriad of other key functions.
Members have tactical skills that include using specialized weapons and can handle major incidents no matter the size, thanks in part to training by, among others, the FBI, the federal Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Army and New Jersey State Police.
They also crank up the chainsaws every now and then.
Oradell police closed the road temporarily so the wreckage could be cleared and the crews could complete their work.
Boyd A. Loving took the photos and contributed to this report.
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