Woman, Dog Extricated From Car After Rollover

A woman who lost control of her car on Fair Lawn Avenue Monday morning and struck a utility pole had to be extricated from her vehicle by emergency service volunteers, police said.

Fair Lawn resident Frances Fleischer, 74, was driving her 2007 Nissan Altima westbound on Fair Lawn Avenue near Hedman Place around 11:30 a.m. when she swerved into a public service utility pole, Sgt. Richard Schultz said. He said the front right side of the vehicle impacted the pole, which caused the car to rotate and flip over on its right side, trapping the driver and her small lap dog inside.

The rollover threw both the woman and her dog — neither of whom were restrained  — to the passenger side of the vehicle, Schultz said. He said rescue squad workers used tools to remove the car's roof and extricate the woman and her dog.

Fleischer was taken out of the car on a board and transported to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, Schultz said. He said the extent of her injuries was unknown, but that they did not appear to be life-threatening. Animal control took the dog, which did not appear to suffer any injuries in the accident, Schultz said.

The utility pole was snapped in two from the car's impact, which resulted in a power disruption to several nearby homes, Schultz said. Public Service was on scene shortly after the accident to make repairs and restore service.

The Fair Lawn Ambulance Corps, Fair Lawn Rescue Squad, Fair Lawn Fire Department, Fair Lawn Police Department and paramedics from Valley Hospital all responded to the scene.

It's unclear what caused the woman to swerve and strike the pole, Schultz said.

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