A child was seriously injured Sunday morning after being struck in the head by a falling tree branch in Norton, prompting a helicopter flight to a Boston trauma hospital. Police and fire crews rushed to the scene on Old Colony Road just before midday, and the child has not been publicly identified.
Emergency Crews Responded Within Minutes
According to WJAR, police and fire crews responded to 336 Old Colony Road around 11:32 a.m. on Sunday after the child was struck in the head by the falling branch. Fire officials said the injury was serious enough to warrant an immediate medical evacuation rather than ground transport. The child was flown by Boston MedFlight to Boston Children's Hospital, the station reported.
Norton Police Chief Brian Clark said the branch that fell was approximately 4 to 6 inches in diameter, offering one of the few concrete details released so far about the incident. Beyond the chief's description of the branch, officials did not release additional information, leaving the circumstances of the fall and the child's condition largely unknown to the public as of Sunday.
Child's Condition Still Unknown
The child's current condition was not available, and it remains unclear how severe the injuries are or whether the child has been released from the hospital. The outlet's report notes it will be updated as additional information is provided, suggesting more details could emerge in the days ahead.
Falling tree branches have caused serious harm to children elsewhere in Massachusetts this year. In August, a child and an adult were injured by a falling tree at a Massachusetts day camp, with the child also flown by medical helicopter to a trauma center, per a separate WJAR report. A child at a summer camp in Wayland also died after being struck by a falling tree branch, according to CBS Boston. Outside Massachusetts, a 15-year-old student in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, died nearly a month after a falling tree branch struck him during cross-country practice, NBC Philadelphia reported.
No further information about what caused the branch to fall in Norton, or whether any investigation is underway, has been released. Hoodline will continue to follow this story as officials share updates on the child's condition and the circumstances surrounding Sunday's incident.
