For a moment, it was silent. Just minutes earlier, the small hatchback had flipped on its side before coming to rest in a ditch. Then the fire started.
PSE&G Trenton Gas Service Specialists Austin Miller and Eric Nemeth were in separate vehicles heading to their next job in West Windsor Township, just northeast of Trenton, New Jersey, when Miller came upon the car.
He pulled over immediately, and Nemeth followed suit. The two men quickly put on their flashers, donned safety vests and raced to the hatchback. “I yelled at Eric, ‘This car’s on fire; we’ve got to get our fire extinguishers,’” said Miller.
Miller and Nemeth quickly put on all appropriate protective safety equipment and talked over a plan of approach. As Miller doused the flames and peered inside the front of the car, looking for passengers, Nemeth was able to work the back of the hatchback open to do the same.
The only occupant was the driver, a young woman, who was trapped and scared. For a moment, the two men contemplated breaking a window to get her out. But with the fire extinguished, they instead sat with the girl, helping her stay calm, while they waited for personnel from the fire department, which was just down the road. That rescue team was able to safely extract her.
Had Miller and Nemeth not been there, or had they not acted quickly, the outcome could have been much different. “We were in the right place at the right time,” Nemeth said.
“It was just instinct and reaction,” Miller added. “In gas, we know how to deal with emergencies. We’re trained well, and we remain calm.”
Trenton Gas Service Supervisor Stephanie Pangaldi commended Miller and Nemeth for stepping up. “Many people would freeze up and not know what to do. I’m glad that they sprang into action,” Pangaldi said. “All of the various trainings that our employees go through make us well prepared for almost every situation. The first words that come to mind are ‘public service,’ which is in our company name, and that’s what we’re expected to do.”