Local

Fallen tree traps South Hampton man in crushed car for an hour

SOUTH HAMPTON, N.H. — A man in his 70′s suffered minor injuries after a fallen tree pinned him inside his family’s car on Whitehall Rd.

Neighbors said the man was in the passenger seat Friday evening when the storm brought the large tree down onto the vehicle’s roof. The rest of the family was able to climb out of the car but the victim was trapped between the roof and the center console.

“I was talking to him most of the time just to keep him engaged and make sure he was okay,” neighbor Alex Eidukonis said.

A wrecking crew was able to lift the tree a couple of feet, creating enough space for emergency crews to reach the man inside. Eidukonis said once free, the victim walked to a stretcher to be taken to a hospital.

“He was responsive,” Eidukonis said. “We ran over to help out so we were there most of the time. It was definitely scary.”

Walter Lowell with Newburyport Towing Service said his company helped lift the tree off the car.

“We had to bring a large wrecker out to lift it up about two feet to unpin the person, and once they were able to do that they were able to extricate him out and take him away and have him checked out,” Lowell said.

The victim’s son-in-law said the man was treated at a Portsmouth hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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