A driver trapped inside an overturned, burning car on Spruce Brook Road in Berlin was pulled free by a nearby police officer just before the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames Tuesday afternoon. The crash also brought down power lines, sparked a brush fire and triggered a hazardous-materials response that kept the road closed into the evening.
Berlin Volunteer Fire Department crews responded to the 500 block of Spruce Brook Road at approximately 3:59 p.m. Tuesday after reports of a rollover with entrapment, downed power lines and a fire, according to fire officials cited by WTNH. When crews arrived, they found the car resting on its roof with live power lines down on top of the vehicle, NBC Connecticut reported. The driver was the vehicle's only occupant.
Officer Acts Before Flames Take Over
Before firefighters could reach the vehicle, a nearby Berlin police officer removed the driver from the car before it became fully engulfed, according to WFSB. The station reported the crash was initially described as a rollover with a person trapped, a car fire and knocked-down power lines. Firefighters then extinguished the fire, which had spread to nearby brush and grass, per the same report.
The driver was treated at the scene before being taken to a hospital. Accounts of the injuries differ: WFSB reported the driver was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, while NBC Connecticut reported the driver was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Fox61 confirmed only that the driver, the car's sole occupant, was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Power Outage Hits Berlin Turnpike Signals
The crash knocked out power to a wide stretch of the surrounding area, including several traffic signals along the Berlin Turnpike, NBC Connecticut reported, calling the outage “substantial.” Eversource crews worked Tuesday evening to restore service, while the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection assisted with mitigating hazardous materials from a damaged transformer.
As of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Spruce Brook Road remained closed for utility equipment repairs and hazard clearance, according to the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department. WFSB similarly reported that the area would stay closed while officials worked to remove hazards and complete repairs. No timeline for reopening the road has been released.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and no additional details about the driver's condition have been made public. The Berlin Volunteer Fire Department provided photographs from the scene that accompanied the original report from WTNH.
