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Oradell man, 86, escapes injury after car plunges into creek

CVP EXCLUSIVE: An 86-year-old Oradell man escaped what could have been a much more serious outcome when his car plunged over a berm and into the Van Saun Mill Brook this afternoon.

Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot File Photo

The man, who lives on dead-ended Glenside Court next to the brook, was backing his Subaru out of his garage when the driver’s side mirror hit the garage door and startled him, Oradell Police Chief Frank P. Florio told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

He told police he hit the brake, but he might have misjudged and stepped on the accelerator instead.

The car plunged backward over the 8-10-foot berm, landing in about a foot of water.

Fortunately for him, the front of the car was lodged in a tree branch that held fast.

“Otherwise, the car could’ve turned over completely,” Florio said.

“The car was sticking straight up in the air,” the chief said. “If you were coming down the block, you would have seen the front.”

The man seemed OK as medics took him to Holy Name Hospital. DeMauro Towing removed his vehicle.

“We’ve had cars go into the creek before,” Florio said. “But you don’t see one like this every day. Good thing the tree held up, or that car would’ve gone right over.”

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