Giant Tree Limb Crunches Car, Backs up Traffic in Lexington

When tree falls in Lexington, atop a station wagon heading eastbound on Mass Ave, it most definitely makes a sound ... and snarls traffic.

Such was the case Monday, June 24, when an extra-large tree limb fell down, crunching the front an old-model station wagon and the back of another vehicle, which reportedly drove away from the scene with heavy damage.

Around 1 p.m. Monday afternoon, the cars were sitting bumper-to-bumper heading eastbound on Mass Ave, next to Hastings Park, said Lexington Police, when a large crack was heard and the limb came down.

Check out the video to your right to see DPW crews working to remove the downed limbs without snapping the power lines upon which they fell.

The woman in the station wagon, of Maine, was uninjured but had to be helped from her vehicle as the front end was compressed under the weight of the fallen wood. The other vehicle reportedly sustained heavy damage but was able to drive away from the scene.

The accident was reported at 1:07 p.m., according to police. NStar responded to the scene and cut power to the area -- which turned out the lights at the intersection of Mass Ave and Worthen Road -- so crews could remove the limbs, which dangled down over the power lines.

Hours after the accident occurred, Public Works crews were still cutting and chipping wood in the middle of Mass Ave. Traffic -- some of it already detoured from the Bedford Street construction -- was sent around Hastings Park on Audubon Road and down Lincoln Street to Worthen Road.

The station wagon's driver was still at the scene around 3 p.m. She declined to comment, other than to say she was shaken up but uninjured.