Three people are lucky to be alive after a 100-foot tree crushed their pickup truck. The startling incident happened in Massachusetts earlier this week.
On Monday, three people had been driving along Fitchburg Road. That's when a 100-foot pine tree in the Leominster State Forest smashed on top of them. According to CW affiliate WHDH, it instantly crushed their pickup truck. According to Ruzbin Martinez, who had been driving in a separate vehicle, the three people were co-workers. All of them were headed to work when the near-death experience happened.
"I went by, my box truck went by, then I looked in my rearview mirror and I saw this truck here cross in the middle of the road and then it was just smoke everywhere," said Martinez, the owner of New Era Paving.
Tree Crushes Truck
It appears that they avoided death by just mere inches. According to Princeton Fire Chief John Bennett, "tree literally came across the hood of the truck through the windshield." It could have been fatal if it crashed on top of the cab. Still, the tree did trap one of them and cause a fire.
"They were extremely lucky. One of the branches literally went into the engine block of the car," Bennett added, according to ABC affiliate WCVB-TV. "The other branch basically came through the windshield, missed both passengers and then another came through the back of the vehicle and just missed the passenger in the back."
Fortunately, all three escaped with their lives. However, they were pretty injured and needed medical treatment at UMASS Medical Center. Two of the people sustained injuries to their legs and may need surgery as a result. Following the fallen tree, officials shut down the road and worked to remove both the tree and the vehicle.
They've since reopened the area.
