Mom, children OK after car barrels through fence, dangles over embankment
HAWTHORNE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Police in Hawthorne, New Jersey are investigating how a car ended up down an embankment.
Officials say the single-car crash happened after the vehicle slammed through a fence on Westervelt Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Monday.
Once on the scene, officers said they found the car hanging over an embankment, only being held up by the retaining wall.
A woman and children inside were already out of the vehicle by the time first responders arrived.
While they weren't seriously hurt, homeowner Chris Sosa says more should be done to prevent something like this from happening.
"We hear the explosion, we all run downstairs thinking the worst, gunshot, whatever it is, and we go and see the car hanging off the fence over here," Sosa said.
The loud crash attracted others in the Millview Lofts complex.
"Me and two other mothers from the complex, we ended up running straight downstairs, and the two other mothers were the ones who helped pull the the two little boys from the car, we checked on the mom to make sure she was OK, she very very disoriented," said Hawthorne resident Miyasia Sims.
The driver said her brakes failed when she turned into the parking lot.
Sosa said they have been asking the town about requiring part of the barrier between the complex's parking lot and his back yard to be fortified.
His back yard is often used for outdoor family activities.
"We knew this was going to happen, we've contacted zoning officers in town to tell them the guardrails are made of wood, it's a flimsy, vinyl fence, anybody could see this coming," Sosa said.
The car was eventually safely hoisted back up and towed away.
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