Winds rip down tree hitting driver on Detroit's west side

DETROIT (WJBK) - Angela Hereford's brother Joe was sent to the hospital after whipping winds toppled a Dutch Elm Tree on Detroit's west side Friday.

"My brother was just driving down the street and the tree just fell on him while he was driving down the street," she said. "It's like he didn't know what happened. He said he just felt the impact. His head hit the window and he said he didn't know what happened."

 It hit another car passing by too, but he was able to drive off. Her brother Joe wasn't as lucky, suffering some injuries.

 "He was complaining about his shoulder, his ribs and his head," she said. "And EMS came and took him to the hospital."

Detroit Firefighters responded but one of their trucks broke down. They typically wouldn't handle the cleanup but while they waited for maintenance, they helped Angela get her brother's car out.

 The family was able to drive off and head to the hospital.

 "I'm just happy that he's okay because it could have been a lot worse," Angela said.

 A handyman who drove by couldn't let the fallen tree stay there. He took matters into his own hands and opened the area up with his chainsaw in case of an emergency.

"I'm just going to open this up right here so cars can get through," said Kevin Jackson, Brother's Handyman Service.

 He's a handyman and it's his day was his day off, so he thought.

Jackson says a lot of the huge, old trees that line the neighborhood streets near Prest and Keeler streets are hollowed out by pests. So, when it gets windy they blow right over.

"Any time you see brittle braches like this you know it's dangerous," he said.

 His hard work made the street passable again until city crews can finish off the job.