N. Merrick F.D. rescues one from crash on Southern State

A Lexus SUV traveling eastbound on the Southern State Parkway slammed into the Meadowbrook Parkway bridge in North Merrick on Friday at around 11:30 a.m., and the driver was trapped inside the vehicle when it caught fire.

A state trooper and a highway worker reportedly put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher. North Merrick volunteer firefighters were at the crash site in minutes. They, along with rescue workers from the Nassau County Police Department and Emergency Services Unit, needed a half-hour to remove Alexie Schramm, 34, of Queens, from the car. Schramm was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow and was listed in critical condition at press time.