Daughter Describes Mother's Near-Death Experience As Oak Tree Crashes On Her Car
LOOMIS (CBS13) — It was a miracle escape. A woman cheated death after a giant oak tree crashed through her windshield just missing the driver's seat.
It happened on King Road near Sierra college Thursday morning.
"When she opened her eyes the roof of the car was right in front of her face and the tree was to the left of her," said the victim's daughter, Ashley Summers.
A giant oak tree came crashing down onto a narrow two-lane road, and the driver had to make a split second decision.
"She chose to slam on her brakes and hold onto the steering wheel," she said.
Chris Hebard-Summers, trapped, stayed still until a bystander came to the rescue and handed her the phone to call her daughter Ashley.
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"She told me not to freak out," she said it wasn't just the tree. "She told me that there were power lines on the roof of her car and that they were sparking."
The power company was there within minutes and Placer County crews used the jaws of life to pull Chris out rushing her to the hospital.
"I walked up behind the ambulance and I said, 'Is that you mommy?' and she said, 'yes,'" Ashley said. "Those were probably some of the scariest, or maybe the scariest moments of her life, sitting in that car not being able to get out."
Ashley says it wasn't until she saw the pictures from the crash that she could've lost her mom.
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"They said if she would've been going a little faster or a little slower, whatever she did, with something or the tree, would've killed her," she said.
Ashely feels lucky it was only a broken wrist, had it been worse they would've all been broken hearted on Valentine's Day
"She is amazing and I'm lucky that she is here I'm lucky that we could spend the day together," Ashley said.
Chris is going to be just fine. She has a broken wrist and will have surgery.
She's determined to even be back at work on Tuesday.