Three Escape Serious Injury When Trees Fall On Car

On March 3rd, Jillian McHenry and two companions were traveling southbound on Newfound Gap Road in a 2001 Nissan Altima when it was struck by falling trees. The park was experiencing a strong wind event when three locust trees blew over in succession and landed on their car, hitting the roof and crushing the entire passenger compartment. All three were pinned in the Nissan for more than two hours while rescue efforts were underway. Ranger Walt West used a chainsaw to remove the trees from the car, and Gatlinburg Fire Department personnel cut the roof off of the car to access the interior. All three were alert and oriented throughout the rescue operation. They were transported to a local hospital and found to have only minor injuries. Ranger Chuck Hester was the incident commander.