Around 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, a vehicle collided with a tree on Elm Street by Howland Street after the driver suffered a medical emergency, according to Fire District 1 Chief Peter Andrade.

While the passenger was able to exit the vehicle, “the way he hit the tree caused the front wheel to push against the driver’s door and wedge it shut,” Andrade said. 

Using the jaws of life, firefighters were able to extract the driver and get him to Saint Luke’s Hospital. Andrade said it was a “routine extraction,” which took the team about a minute and a half.

The tree itself, which has earned itself “some scars” over the years, still stands strong and shouldn’t need to be removed, Andrade said.