SEATTLE (KING) – A University of Washington student is counting his blessings after he walked away unscathed when a tree uprooted in severe weather and fell on his car, pinning him inside.
Tyson Ramirez, who is studying for his doctorate in economics at the University of Washington, was driving home Tuesday night when a tree was uprooted and fell right on top of his car. He says he realized something was going to hit his car before it did, but he wasn’t quite sure what.
“I kind of just slumped back in my seat a little bit, bracing for impact, and sure enough, the tree crashes,” Ramirez said. “I didn’t know at the time if it was just a big branch. Lo and behold, it was the actual body of the tree.”
Ramirez says the tree caved in the car’s roof and pinned him inside. He could move to the passenger side but could not get out of the car.
“The tree was totally horizontal on my car, pinning both the driver’s side and passenger side doors, and I was stuck,” he said.
Bystanders came over to check on Ramirez and called 911. One of them even took photos for him while they waited for help to arrive.
“She said, ‘Well, do you want me to take your picture?’ Her reasoning was, ‘You might never get to see this angle again.’ At first, it threw me off, but she was right,” Ramirez said.
He was pinned in the car for about 90 minutes before firefighters were able to get him to safety and into his parents’ arms.
“Once I was pulled out, I gave them the tightest hug. I was so thankful to go home that night,” he said. “You see it in TV shows [and] movies, but you never expect this to happen in real life.”
Ramirez’s mother is grateful her son walked away unscathed, saying she likes happy endings.
“I can’t even believe I walked away from that,” Ramirez said. “Whether it be angels, whether it be God, the amazing firefighters at Squad 31, I was really blessed that night.”
Ramirez says his car is a total loss, and he’s trying to get a new one. His family set up a GoFundMe to help him pay for it.
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