Trooper's Vehicle Struck By Falling Tree In Westmoreland Co.
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MT. PLEASANT TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A Pennsylvania state trooper narrowly avoided injury when his vehicle was struck by a falling tree Sunday.
It happened just after 9:15 p.m. on Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County.
The trooper was on his way to check out damage caused by the high winds when a tree on the side of the road began to fall.
"He tries to accelerate at the last second and luckily, it catches the back third his vehicle," Trooper Stephen Limani said.
His rear windshield was shattered and the impact caused some serious dents.
"Split seconds, I would say fractions of a second between that tree landing on top of him on the roof or hitting the back part of the vehicle, so he was very lucky. We were very lucky," Limani said.
The trooper was not injured.
State police say everybody can learn from what happened to the trooper; keep your eyes on the road, of course, and what's beside it as well.
"I know we look for deer and things of that nature [when we're driving], but also pay attention to-- look up as you're driving around these roads," Limani said.