Authorities in Brandon Twp. are saying Monday’s high winds and bad-timing are to blame for the tragic accident that occurred on Sherwood Road, a quarter-mile west of Baldwin, and left one man dead.
It appears high winds caused a large oak tree split down the center and fall, crushing the cab of a 1977 Ford F-150 traveling east on Sherwood.
The fallen tree injured the 43-year-old male driver and 35-year-old female passenger in the center seat. One of the branches killed 25-year-old passenger David Allen, who was sitting against the truck’s passenger side window.
The driver and female were conscious when paramedics arrived. The driver reportedly told authorities it felt like a ton of bricks fell on the cab.
The incident happened so suddenly that therewere no signs of any braking from the truck along the gravel road. A severe wind advisory from the National Weather Service was in effect at the time of the accident.
Sgt. Tim McIsaac, Brandon Twp. substation commander, said passenger Allen ‘got the worst of it.?
A tree branch measuring approximately six inches in diameter crashed through the windshield, striking him in the chest first, then injuring his abdomen, groin and upper thigh, according to McIsaac.
Brandon firefighters, assisted by Independence firefighters, had to use the Jaws of Life and chain saws to extricate the victims trapped inside the truck. Emergency personnel freed them in under 10 minutes.
Allen was described by McIsaac as ‘in and out of consciousness? on the way to the hospital. He was later pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at Genesys Health Park in Grand Blanc.
The other two victims were treated and released.
All three were residents of Columbiaville and lived together. They had just left their job at a welding shop on Sashabaw Road and were headed home, according to McIsaac.
The Oakland County Road Commission was summoned to the scene to remove the large oak tree, which measured approximately three feet in diameter and was blocking the road. The tree had grown on the south side of Sherwood Road and ‘the exposed interior appeared to be rotted,? according to McIsaac.