Credit: Paul DiFrancescantonio

"Officers discovered a single engine Cessna 206
had crashed in the wooded area behind 810 Passaic Avenue 
just after take off from the Essex County Airport," 
commented West Caldwell Police Captain Gerard Paris.
"The wreckage was completely engulfed by fire
which the West Caldwell Fire Department extinguished.
  The pilot and sole occupant was found in the wreckage, deceased."

The tarp was set up over the crash site. Credit: Janet Markman

"I witnessed the plane coming down and crashing," Alvine commented.
"I was the first on the scene and called it into the police.
I then called out for a working fire dispatch for mutual aid from
Fairfield, Caldwell, Verona and the First Aid Squad.  
I set up command in the parking lot at 810 Passaic Avenue and gave instructions to the incoming fire trucks and towns.
We had to cut the fence of the day care center
to enter the area where the plane was burning.
Then we stretched two lines coming into the woods
and eventually extinguished the fire.
The victim was found still in the plane.
The fire was extinguished and command of the scene
was turned over to police agencies."  

"I was the first one to reach the wreckage," Connolly commented. 
"I jumped the fence and made my way to the plane.
I advised West Caldwell command that there was one body in the plane 
but I continued searching the perimeter for any other victims."

Credit: Karla Gaeta Post

Credit: Carolyne Volpe Curley

Credit: Ari Brion

"I wasn't home," said Ari Brion, "but my dad told me that 
he heard something from far away and he went to the door 
thinking there was an accident down the street. 
When he opened the door he saw that the car crashed into the house."

"Everyone is good, the car only damaged the house," Ari continued. 
"RIght now the car is holding up the house basically 
so they're going to have to figure out how to take it out."

"I live on Washington, the first house in from Central,"
commented Emma Kiernan. "That corner is a death trap.
People drive around the bend far too fast and the bushes on the corners
make it impossible to see anyone coming.
There are at least two to three bad accidents in the same spot every year.
We have tried to petition for a traffic light
but they can't do it since it is an Essex County road.
I'm honestly surprised that no one, to my knowledge, has been killed.
I've known people that have been seriously hurt there though;
even pedestrians have gotten hit."

Credit: Janna Smith

Credit: West Caldwell Police

"The investigation revealed that the driver, while backing out of a parking space, mistakenly pressed on the gas instead of the brake
and crashed into the store while in reverse," Bramhall explained. 

Credit: Victoria PediciniCredit: Janna Smith

"No employees or customers were injured,"
reported Janna Smith who took the photos,
"but everyone was really shaken up.
It was really loud like a bomb went off and
pieces of glass made it all the way into the aisles.
Everyone was really lucky."

Credit: Janna Smith

Credit: West Caldwell Police