NORTH WILDWOOD – A 73-year-old man was airlifted to Atlantic Regional Medical Center Nov. 1 after his vehicle struck a police car on Route 147 eastbound into this resort at approximately 11:29 a.m.
Robert Wigman of Ocean City sustained chest injuries and was treated at the scene of the accident by Middle Township Rescue and paramedics before being airlifted by helicopter which was able to land at or near the accident scene, according to Rio Grande Fire Chief James Belles.
Eastbound traffic on Route 147 into North Wildwood was still shut down at 1:03 p.m. after police closed the roadway into and out of the resort following the accident.
For a time, North Wildwood Boulevard was closed to traffic from Route 9 to Ocean Drive.
According to police, North Wildwood received a report of a truck that was losing lumber on the roadway in North Wildwood. North Wildwood police officers located the vehicle on North Wildwood Boulevard, eastbound near South Carolina Avenue Burleigh. That same vehicle had just dropped additional lumber on the roadway, police said.
Two North Wildwood police cars and officers stopped and assisted the driver pick up the lumber when the vehicle being driven by Wigman which was traveling eastbound failed to see one of the stopped police cars, which was stopped in the right lane of travel where the lumber had laid and struck the rear of the police vehicle, forcing the empty police car off the roadway. Wigman’s vehicle overturned and struck the center lane barrier where it came to a rest, police said.
Wigman was removed from the vehicle using the Jaws of Life.
Rio Grande Fire Company was initially dispatched to the Whitesboro Athletic Fields on Main Street to delineate a landing area for the Medevac helicopter but the helicopter instead was able to land at the accident scene.
No officers were injured and police said emergency lights were activated on both police vehicles at the time of the crash.
Assisting Middle Township Police at the scene were North Wildwood Police and Fire, Middle Township Rescue, Cape May Court House Fire Department and The Cape May County Prosecutors Office Crash Investigation Team. The accident is being investigated by Sgt. Pat Conte.
Photos above by Karen Dickinson.
The following photo was submitted via ‘newstip’ on our website.
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/01/2007 – 9:45pm.
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Picture of the overturned car, responders and the helicopter leaving with the driver of the vehicle on N. Wildwood Blvd. 11/1
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