Man in Critical Condition After Being Hit by Fallen Branch

A witness tells necn the man had blood coming from his ears

A man is still in critical condition after a massive tree branch fell on him in Brookline, Massachusetts, Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

A landscaping company was cutting down tree branches in an alley way off of Commonwealth Avenue just after 3 p.m. when a branch approximately a foot in diameter fell on a passerby, identified as a 29-year-old Herb Chambers employee.

"There was a guy in a red t shirt and maybe ten big branches on top of him, limbs, and he had blood coming out of his ear," said witness Herbie Jones.

The victim was rushed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where underwent surgery.

At this point it's unclear what safety procedures the landscaping company had in place at the time, and where the victim was walking, but investigators from OSHA and Mass State Police are on scene to figure out the answers to those questions.

It's also not clear where the unidentified victim was going to or from, but Herb Chambers stores cars in a nearby garage.

Necn also spoke with a store clerk who says the victim comes in every day. She says he was in the store just before the tree branch came down on him.

Massachusetts

The latest news from around the state

Person stabbed at Boston pilot school, police say

Fire burning at large home in Newton

"One of the employees of the Herb Chambers — he stopped in to get a sandwich and then an hour later he came in to let me know what happened to the guy, that a big branch fall on top of him," said clerk Yomiris Rodriguez.

Necn has reached out to Belmont Tree but has not heard back. The city of Brookline has an arborist at the scene and is still to trying to figure if the tree was on private property or city property.

Brookline police say their initial investigation points to this incident being an accident, saying that workers did not see the man until he was on the ground.

Contact Us