Tree falls on car in Rock Creek Park, trapping driver

WASHINGTON – A man was badly hurt, when a tree fell on his car on Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park Monday.

The man was driving on the road which runs through Rock Creek Park around 6:30 p.m., according to U.S. Park Police, when the tree fell onto his vehicle, trapping the man inside.

“It crushed the car, the top of the car is completely crushed,” said Christina Mason, who came across the car while driving to her home in the Petworth neighborhood.

Mason said a U.S. Park Police officer arrived quickly to the scene but could not get to the man. That is when Mason said dozens of good Samaritans, including walkers, joggers and drivers rushed to help.

“They started lifting up the tree as a teamwork effort and pushed the car from the front out from underneath the tree,” Mason said.

Sgt. Anna Rose with U.S. Park Police said at least 30 people helped lift the tree and push the car from underneath it. Once the vehicle was freed, the officer was able to get to the man inside.

“The tree is pretty sizable, I’m not sure the officer would have been able to do it alone, adrenaline or not, so it really was critical that those people stopped and helped,” Rose said.

Tree falls on car on Rock Creek Pkwy trapping driver. Witnesses lift tree off car. Victim in serious condition pic.twitter.com/YFgTOFPl5q

— Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) August 29, 2016

Rose said Beach Drive will remain closed, as accident reconstruction teams spend much of the night investigating the crash. So far, it is unclear what caused the tree to fall.

The injured man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.