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Hero Civilians Aid Paramus Rollover Victim

PARAMUS, N.J. — Not all heroes wear uniforms: Three in Paramus on Monday morning sported winter coats, along with gashes on their fingertips.

From left: William Tiernan, Paul Delmonico and Darwin Polo, the three heroes who instinctively responded to the vehicle that was rolling off the roadway and went airborne before landing in a parking lot in Paramus Monday.

From left: William Tiernan, Paul Delmonico and Darwin Polo, the three heroes who instinctively responded to the vehicle that was rolling off the roadway and went airborne before landing in a parking lot in Paramus Monday.

Photo Credit: Cecilia Levine
The car barreled off the Ridgewood Avenue and down this patch of snow behind the Fashion Center, as the trio of first responders followed behind.

The car barreled off the Ridgewood Avenue and down this patch of snow behind the Fashion Center, as the trio of first responders followed behind.

Photo Credit: Cecilia Levine
The car went airborne briefly and landed in the Fashion Center. The civilian first responders told Daily Voice the driver was unresponsive in a blinking stare. They called 9-1-1 and worked to free him until police and fire arrived.

The car went airborne briefly and landed in the Fashion Center. The civilian first responders told Daily Voice the driver was unresponsive in a blinking stare. They called 9-1-1 and worked to free him until police and fire arrived.

Photo Credit: Cecilia Levine
First responders work to free the victim from his vehicle Monday morning in Paramus.

First responders work to free the victim from his vehicle Monday morning in Paramus.

Photo Credit: Cecilia Levine
"As ugly as it looks, the outcome was good."

"As ugly as it looks, the outcome was good."

Photo Credit: Cecilia Levine

The trio of strangers -- William Tiernan, Paul Delmonico and U.S. Airman Darwin Polo -- were outside a 7-Eleven in an East Ridgewood Avenue strip mall across from the Fashion Center when Tiernen spotted a car across the roadway barreling through snowbanks just before 11:30 a.m.

He called for help and ran toward the car.

Delmonico and Polo, hearing his cries, saw the car speed down a hill, briefly go airborne and land in the parking lot behind the Fashion Center, Tiernan recalled.

"Paul and I ran over while calling 9-1-1 to see what we could do," Tiernan said. "[Delmonico] tried to pull the windshield out."

The victim was unresponsive, in a blinking stare, they said.

The three did their best to help until police officers arrived barely a minute later.

Tiernan, Delmonico and Polo huddled on the sidewalk as more police and firefighters arrived and eventually extricated the victim.

"I really hope that the driver is okay," Tiernan said.

"It could have been a lot worse," Polo added.

The driver, 41-year-old Saji Kochumman of White Plains, N.Y., was transported to The Valley Hospital in stable condition with minor injuries, Police and Fire Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg told Daily Voice, citing a suspected medical emergency as the cause.

As for their teamwork and heroism demonstrated by Tiernan, Delmonico and Polo?

"It was instinctive," said Delmonico of Paramus. "We all reacted together -- it was a team effort.

"As ugly as it looks, the outcome was good."

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