Firefighters rescue driver after delivery truck slams into fallen tree in Newark
Before the truck was struck, the tree also brought down utility wires and damaged two parked vehicles
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A commercial delivery driver had a miraculous escape early Monday morning after crashing into a massive, uprooted tree blocking a Newark roadway, trapping him inside the wreckage.
While initial reports suggested the tree fell directly onto the vehicle, authorities later clarified that the driver actually drove into the three-foot-wide tree, which had already fallen across the street in the darkness of the early morning hours.
According to the Newark Public Safety Director, fire crews responded to the scene at Maple Avenue near Keer Avenue at approximately 4:16 a.m. Upon arrival, first responders found the America’s Bakery delivery truck wedged underneath the massive trunk, with the heavy wood resting on top of the crushed cab.
The severe impact left the male driver entrapped inside the commercial vehicle. Newark firefighters quickly went to work using specialized equipment, successfully rescuing the driver from the mangled front end of the truck. Amazingly, the driver reported no injuries, and public safety officials confirmed that no other injuries were reported at the scene.
Before the bakery truck hit the obstruction, the tree had uprooted and collapsed across the roadway, bringing down nearby utility wires and damaging two unoccupied parked vehicles across the street.
America's Bakery, based in neighboring Irvington, is a well-known neighborhood staple that handles early-morning deliveries throughout the area, explaining why the truck was out before dawn.
PSE&G crews were rushed to the scene to address the live, downed utility lines and restore safety to the block, while Newark Neighborhood Services was tasked with cutting up and removing the massive tree to reopen the roadway.
