Pedestrian Saves Driver After Car Crashes Into Tree, Catches Fire In Mercer

WEST WINDSOR, NJ – A pedestrian saved a driver after his car crashed into a tree and caught fire on Tuesday evening, West Windsor police said.

On Tuesday at 7:10 p.m., a 2011 Honda Accord was traveling east on South Mill Road just prior to a curved section for the intersection of New Edinburg Road. The car crossed the center line, left the road to the left, crossed over New Edinburg Road, and crashed into a white pine tree, police said.

A pedestrian stopped and pulled the driver from the vehicle, which then caught fire, police said.

The driver, Christopher F. Howard was the sole occupant of the car and sustained serious, non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The West Windsor fire department’s Station 43 extinguished the fire. Authorities said he was driving while intoxicated. The road was closed for around 2.5 hours while authorities worked at the scene.

Howard, a West Windsor resident, was taken to Capital Health Regional Trauma Center in Trenton.

The crash is currently under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Windsor Police Department's Traffic Officer E. McQuade at (609) 799-1222 or email at McQuade@WestWindsorPolice.com.

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