Plainfield, New Jersey — A powerful summer storm turned a routine Amazon delivery into a frightening rescue Friday after a large tree came crashing down onto a delivery truck, trapping a person inside the vehicle and leaving nearby homes without power.
The tree fell with such force that neighbors initially thought a house had been struck.
Giant Tree Crashes Onto Amazon Delivery Truck
The incident happened on Friday, Aug. 7, as severe weather moved through Plainfield.
A large tree suddenly toppled onto an Amazon delivery truck, causing extensive damage to the vehicle. Photos from the scene showed the tree lying across the truck and coming down only a few feet from the windshield.
The impact was so severe that the truck appeared to have been nearly split in half. One person was trapped inside the damaged vehicle after the tree came down.
Meanwhile, the truck’s driver had been outside making a delivery when the tree fell. The driver reportedly alerted nearby residents that someone remained inside and needed help.
Neighbors Thought a House Had Been Hit
Residents said the sound of the falling tree was loud enough to make them believe a home had been struck. One witness described the noise as “pretty bad” and said it initially sounded as though the tree had hit a house.
Another description compared the sound to an explosion, highlighting just how suddenly the tree came crashing down. The situation became even more urgent when neighbors learned that someone was trapped inside the truck.
Neighbor Uses Kitchen Knife to Help Rescue Person
According to witnesses, a nearby resident asked for something that could be used to cut through the vehicle’s interior and free the trapped occupant.
Shatia Winston said a neighbor approached asking whether anyone had “a knife or something” that could help. Winston responded by grabbing one of her kitchen knives.
The neighbor then used the knife to cut the occupant’s seatbelt, allowing the trapped person to get out of the damaged truck. After being rescued, the person was reportedly walking while holding their stomach.
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The available reports did not provide additional details about the person’s injuries or whether they required hospitalization.
Amazon Calls Incident ‘Scary’
An Amazon spokesperson acknowledged the frightening incident and thanked the people who helped at the scene.
The company said it was grateful that its Delivery Service Partner drivers were safe and expressed appreciation to everyone who responded to help.
The incident could have been much worse had the tree struck the truck’s windshield directly or if neighbors had not quickly realized someone was trapped inside.
Falling Tree Also Knocked Out Power
The storm caused additional problems in the neighborhood. The falling tree brought down power lines, leaving several nearby residents without electricity.
Crews worked to address the damage and remove the fallen tree. The tree was finally removed on Saturday, Aug. 8, one day after the storm caused the dangerous incident.
While the storm left behind significant property damage and power disruptions, the rescue of the person trapped inside the Amazon truck ended without a reported fatality.
Would you have known what to do if someone was trapped inside a vehicle after a tree fell on it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
