Mother, Daughter Assist People Trapped in Shelton Rollover Crash

A mother and daughter from Ansonia jumped into action Friday morning to help three people trapped in a single car crash on Route 8 in Shelton.

During the morning rush around 7:30 a.m., Janet Roberge was driving on Route 8 near exit 11.

"Came upon the commotion of the accident, stopped, I called it in," she said.

Next, Roberge and her daughter Rhiannon didn’t hesitate to help.

"That’s somebody’s family member, could have been mine," Roberge said, "Could have been anybody’s and I have a conscious. I couldn’t drive by without helping."

The Roberges said a few other people had pulled over on the side of the highway.

"They didn’t know what to do, they were too shaken up themselves, like how do we get the car open," Rhiannon said.

But Rhiannon came up with a way.

"With my mom’s crowbar," she said. "I just smashed the window and I just climbed through the back windshield."

Janet said she focused on caring for the unconscious man in the driver’s seat.

"I assisted with keeping the gentleman’s airway up," she explained. "Holding his neck."

As Connecticut State Police and Shelton first responders arrived, both tried keeping the driver’s wife and sister-in-law calm.

"Letting them know like you guys are going to be OK," Rhiannon said. "Everything’s going to work out, we’re going to get you the right help."

Emergency personnel utilized the Jaws of Life to remove the SUV’s smashed doors.

"That’s the one sound I never want to hear again, near my ears, the Jaws of Life," Janet said.

The three injured people who survived the rollover were rushed to Bridgeport hospital. A hospital spokesperson told NBC Connecticut the husband and wife were admitted with serious injuries. An update on the third passenger’s condition was not available.

Neither Janet nor her daughter considers their actions heroic.

“If more people stopped and took care of each other, the world wouldn’t be the way it is today,” Janet said.

State Police are investigating the cause of the car accident.

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