A Douglas couple in their 50s faced life-threatening injuries after a large tree unexpectedly collapsed onto their moving car today. The incident occurred on South Street in Douglas, Massachusetts, while the couple was heading towards their home in the afternoon, according to Boston25 News.
The scene was horrific, with the female passenger screaming for help and fearing for their lives. Neighbor Danielle Patterson reported hearing the woman's cries, saying, "She was yelling, 'help, help, help.' She was screaming, 'I think we are dying.'” The woman had no choice but to pull the severely injured male driver from the car because it was on fire, Mass Live reported.
The dramatic series of events did not end there. Catherine Thomas, a homeowner in the area, was asleep when the tree struck her house, destroying one side of the roof and entangling it in wires. Thomas was trapped inside due to the debris and live wires, while her television flashed and sparks flew outside. Describing her experience, she stated, "I couldn’t see anything because the tree was covering all the windows, and I couldn’t come out of the house because of all the wires." The house was later deemed structurally safe by the building inspector, allowing Thomas to stay in her damaged home.
Adding to the tragedy, it was revealed that the tree had been flagged for removal three years prior but was never taken down. Thomas recounted, "That tree was flagged to come down three years ago when I bought this house and then they took the red flag off and they never cut it down." The removal of the tree could have perhaps prevented the unfortunate accident, but for now, the why it was never removed remains unclear.
The driver and the passenger of the car, both suffering serious injuries, were transported to the UMass Trauma Center, according to a WCVB article. As of today, there have been no updates on their condition, but emergency responders, including the National Grid, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and a tree service, have been working to clean up the scene and restore services in the area.
The Douglas Police Department is currently investigating the incident to determine the factors that led to the tree's collapse, as well as any other necessary details.
