NEED TO KNOW
- Eric Freeman of Wayland, Mass., was driving down Elm Street in Framingham, Mass., on Dec. 4 when a pine tree fell on his car
- First responders from the Framingham Fire Department and Brewster Ambulance Paramedics pulled him from the car and brought him to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for treatment
- Freeman survived the accident and reunited with the first responders to thank them on Wednesday, Jan. 21
A man who was rescued by first responders when a tree crushed his car has reunited with the people who saved his life.
In December, Eric Freeman of Wayland, Mass., was driving down a street in Framingham, Mass., when a tree abruptly fell on his car, pinning him inside. “I was driving along, and all of a sudden, my head was on the center console of the car, and I was looking out through my moonroof,” Freeman told WCVB.
Freeman, 67, and his wife Kathleen joined Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka in thanking the emergency first responders of the Framingham Fire Department and Brewster Ambulance Paramedics for their life-saving efforts on Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Framingham Fire Department shared on Facebook.
“It feels really good to be able to thank everyone who saved my life,” Freeman told WCVB.
“I just shook his hand, I told him I can’t believe he’s standing,” Don Avery, a paramedic with Brewster Ambulance Service, told the news outlet.
Framingham Fire Department
The accident occurred on Elm Street in Framingham on Dec. 4. The tree was a large pine, The MetroWest Daily News reported. The emergency responders brought him to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he was treated for a broken clavicle, broken ribs and multiple fractured vertebrae, the latter of which were stabilized with titanium bolts, per the outlet.
“Through calm leadership, coordination with our EMS partners and skilled technical operations, crews quickly stabilized the scene, removed heavy debris and carefully extricated the conscious patient from a severely compromised vehicle,” Framingham Fire Chief Michael Dutcher said at the reunion, per The MetroWest Daily News.
“This could have been a very different outcome, but we are here surrounded by Framingham’s finest,” Spilka told CBS Boston. “It was a random, freak accident that was just very unfortunate. Because of those that came, the public safety, because of their expertise, their fast action, their compassion, and knowing exactly what to do during this very difficult time helped save Eric.”
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While Freeman is still recovering, he looks forward to getting back to his outdoor hobbies.
“Skiing, going back and letting Wildcat know whose boss,” Freeman told CBS Boston. “I may not be able to do what I did before. But hopefully I’ll still be able to hit the mountains hard.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the Framingham Fire Department and Brewster Ambulance Paramedics for comment.
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