By Jeff Lipton
Becker, who works in a group home near the corner where the accident occurred, rushed out of the building and ran over to the crushed Oldsmobile in an attempt to assist the driver, who was trapped behind the wheel and the car's airbags. Soon, five or six neighbors and motorists joined the effort to try to pry the car's doors open.
Becker said the car was becoming very smoky and the fear was that it could burst into flame and possibly explode.
"I was inside [the group home] watching television when I heard a loud bang," Becker said. "Everyone was pulling over, asking if she was okay, and she shook her head yes."
But they were worried for the woman's safety. "We tried to get the door open and at least get more air in the car, because of the smoke," Becker said.
One good Samaritan called 911 while another, a woman who works as an emergency medical technician and was driving by, pulled over to lend assistance.
Police from the Fourth Precinct and members of the Hewlett Fire Department soon arrived and used the "Jaws of Life" to cut away the passenger side of the car, helping to free the woman. "The doors on both sides were jammed," Becker said.
The woman, identified as Hortence Levy, 72, of Eileen Terrace, just a few blocks from the accident scene, was taken by ambulance to the field at the nearby Woodmere Middle School and then airlifted by police helicopter to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. She suffered a broken right ankle, a broken rib and possible internal injuries, police said at the scene, and was in critical but stable condition in the hospital's intensive care unit, hospital spokesperson Shelley Lotenberg said.
"The car's airbags deployed, which probably saved her from a broken neck and hitting her head on the windshield," a police officer said at the scene. "She was conscious when we took her out but was unconscious for a brief moment before that."
Police said the good Samaritans did a good job by helping to assist Levy and calming her until emergency personnel arrived.
Lavene Williams, who also works in the group home, said, "It was amazing to see so many people get involved right away.
"Two guys tried to open the car door because they couldn't see anything inside," Williams said. "They tried to get her out, because with all the smoke, they thought it would explode."
Becker said, "It was awesome. I could not believe it. There were six cars parked on the side of the road. They all wanted to see if she was okay.
"It looked horrible," she said. "I'm glad she's alive. She's very lucky."
The accident occurred around 3 p.m. Thursday, July 26. But police were at a loss to explain in which direction Levy was driving and what caused her to slam into the tree, just feet from a traffic light.
