Crime & Safety

Police ID Chemicals That Injured WF Resident, Cop

A mixture of ammonia and bleach sends two people to the hospital Thursday.

The chemical compound that appears to have been an acid-based mixture of ammonia and bleach, Union County Emergency Management Director Christopher Sbaturo said. One Westfield resident, described as a woman in her 20s, and one Westfield police officer were rushed by ambulance to Overlook Hospital in Summit after inhaling the mixture in Brightwood Park.

"If it was not done quickly, she very well could have died," Sbaturo said of the woman. Police said they are investigating how the chemicals ended up at the park.

At about 10:33 a.m., the woman called 911 to report that she was in the park and could not breathe. When the responding officers arrived, they discovered that the woman had fallen unconscious. They also found a makeshift structure made of tarp and other materials containing the chemicals, Sbaturo said.

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Westfield police and fire units, accompanied by officers and firefighters from Scotch Plains, which borders Brightwood Park, closed the 44-acre park and some surrounding streets to the public. By 2 p.m., members of the Union County Hazardous Materials team had secured the chemicals and cleared the area 

Westfield police said that the incident did not appear to be criminal in nature.

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Editor's Note: Hoboken Patch Editor Claire Moses contributed to this report.


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