Volunteer Firefighter in Motorcycle Crash Thanks Edgewater Officers Who Helped Save His Life!
On the afternoon of Friday, September 27, Quinton, a 31-year-old volunteer firefighter and public works employee, was heading to Hackensack on his Harley Davidson motorcycle.
As he traveled north on River Road, he suddenly lost control of the bike and collided with a southbound vehicle, resulting in a severe leg injury.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Quinton noticed blood pouring from his leg. With a dire need for help, he called out, and a Good Samaritan responded quickly, handing him a ratchet strap.
Quinton tied it around his leg as tightly as he could to slow the bleeding. Only minutes later, Edgewater Officer Gillian Cabrera arrived on the scene, followed shortly by Officer Matthew Viola.
“It was amazing — she was so focused,” Quinton recalled. “She jumped on me and applied her tourniquet.” Quinton praised Officer Cabrera’s calmness and professionalism in a chaotic moment, noting that she did not even glance up at him as she administered the life-saving procedure.
Both Quinton and Cabrera had a professional connection, having worked together in the community, which made the situation even more poignant. “She was perfect,” he said. “She couldn’t have been any better.
She acted as soon as she got out of the car and did everything you’d want someone to do for you in that situation.”
Shortly after the officers’ arrival, an ambulance rushed Quinton to Hackensack University Medical Center for emergency surgery. Reflecting on the incident with a hint of humor, Quinton said, “I did make it to Hackensack — just not in the way that I wanted.”
During his recovery, Quinton took every opportunity to express his gratitude for Officer Cabrera and the rest of the first responders.
At a recent Edgewater Mayor & Council Meeting, the heroes of that day were honored. Among those recognized were Detective Robert Carrano, Sgt. Theodore Wetklow, Officer Uriel Aguilar-Fuentes, EMTs Marc Navarro and Alaa Karim, and dispatcher Debbie Shirinian.
“The doctors said the work done to my leg in the field probably saved me,” Quinton acknowledged, expressing immense gratitude for the swift and skilled efforts of everyone involved, including the Good Samaritan who had initially come to his aid. “Officer Cabrera deserves all the praise she can get.”
This week’s ceremony also highlighted Cabrera’s other recent heroics — she was part of a team that helped save an unresponsive 2-year-old girl.