'Had the Pohatcong Township officers not responded so quickly and efficiently, my dad wouldn't be here with us today.'
The trauma may prevent Jeremy Hewens from remembering all the details of the crash. But they're clear to his family.
"Unusually warm weather for January, a typically deserted road, a blind corner, a distracted driver, and my dad (who probably could have won an award for bicycle safety, if there was such a thing) all collided in one terrible moment. Timing was everything, as I guess it usually is when accidents occur," his daughter, Chelsea Hewens Davis, said in a statement thanking Pohatcong Township police for their aid.
Jeremy Hewens (Courtesy photo) Hewens, of Hunterdon County's Holland Township, stood with family and officers in a photo posted with the statement.
He was 66 at the time of the Warren County crash, and the assistant director of Hunterdon Family Medicine at Delaware Valley, where the grandfather and 2014 New Jersey Family Physician of the Year had spent his entire medical career.
On Jan. 7, he was riding north along the Delaware on River Road when he was hit by a car going in the opposite direction.
He suffered serious head trauma. During his recovery, the family's statement said, he had to be reminded of details of the crash and those who helped him.
"Had my dad left a minute later on his bike ride, or stopped for a few minutes longer to take pictures of the river or a passing train, perhaps the accident never would have happened," Hewens Davis said. "But it did, and that same precise timing is what also saved my dad's life. Had the Pohatcong Township officers not responded so quickly and efficiently, my dad wouldn't be here with us today."
The family's full statement is below:
Pohatcong Mayor James Kern III said the family's statement read at Tuesday's council meeting was "another affirmation of the tremendous work the men and women of our police department do each day."
"The professionalism and skill which they showed on that January day saved a life," he said. "I cannot ever stress enough how proud I am of this department."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.