A father and his 6-year-old son avoided injury when their vehicle slammed into a utility pole in New Jersey, and live electrical wires fell onto the sedan Tuesday morning.
It's not clear what caused the father to lose control of the car when he crashed into the pole in Linden. Trapped below the live wires, he called his wife, and she called 911 -- and they instructed him and his son to stay in the car, no matter what.
"What happens is if you were to step out of your car and touch the ground with an energized car, you now become the point of contact to the ground for the electricity to follow the path, and you'll be electrocuted," said Linden Fire Dept. Chief William Hasko.
It's a crucial point to remember in a car accident involving live wires, even if victims are injured or anxious to get out, officials say: it's best to stay in the car.
"You always have to assume the wires are energized," Hasko said.
While firefighters were on the scene Tuesday, a transformer exploded and caught fire near the car. Still, the father and son were told not to get out until the power company turned off the power. They had to sit tight for 45 minutes.
"Luckily he stayed calm, and he was talking to his wife and first responders," said Linden Police Lt. Christopher Guenther. "He listened to what they told him and stayed put."
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Hasko said they were "very proud of the 6 year old -- he did an excellent job."
A 26-year-old woman in Fanwood, New Jersey, made the choice last July that cost her life: she got out of her car after wires fell on it during a storm and was killed.
The dad and son in Linden got out and were fine, police said. PSE&G crews worked into the night Tuesday to clear the accident scene and fixing the utility pole.
