Tree falls in Charlotte residential neighborhood, trapping motorist, rescuers say

A perilous rescue was staged in east Charlotte on Easter after a large tree fell across a parked car, trapping an injured person inside, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

It happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of Clement Avenue, and it took about half an hour to get the occupant out, officials said. The person’s identity has not been released.

“Charlotte Fire responded ... after receiving a report of a tree that had fallen onto two vehicles parked along the side of the road,” CFD reported in an April 5 Facebook post.

“The call came from the occupant of the first vehicle, who reported that ... the person in the second vehicle was pinned. The caller (in the first vehicle) was able to safely exit prior to Charlotte Fire’s arrival.”

The second vehicle “sustained significant damage” and firefighters discovered the occupant was at risk of further injury due to the instability of the tree, officials said.

“Crews worked quickly to stabilize both the vehicle and the tree to prevent any further movement before beginning extrication efforts,” fire officials said.

“Firefighters carefully secured the hazards and created access to safely reach the patient. The patient in the second vehicle was freed at approximately 8:18 p.m. and transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.”

Maps show the incident happened in a residential neighbor about a block north of Central Avenue.