Woman impaled by tree limb has 7 broken ribs, husband says

PORTLAND, Maine — A Maine passenger who was impaled when a falling pine tree struck the vehicle she was riding in suffered seven broken ribs, but she’s getting better day by day, her husband said Friday.

Theresa Roy, 79, has a long recovery ahead, said her husband, David Roy. But he said he’s just happy they’re alive after the bizarre incident that destroyed their vehicle and injured both of them.

“I feel like we had a guardian angel,” he said.

David Roy, 78, said he and his wife were driving home to Oakland on a two-lane road because their vehicle had been buffeted by strong winds earlier on I-95 during a powerful wind storm.

The crash in Sidney happened in an instant when a pine tree blown down by high wind struck his vehicle as he drove at 50 mph (80 kph), with limbs crashing through the windshield as he struggled to control the vehicle.

A large limb came through the center dashboard and windshield at an angle, hitting him and then striking his wife’s armpit while another broke the windshield and impaled her shoulder, he said.

Sidney Fire and Rescue used the jaws of life to reach Theresa Roy and then cut the tree limb with a hand saw so she could be taken to MaineGeneral hospital in Augusta. She remained in fair condition on Friday at the hospital, a spokesperson said.

Roy said he has been moved by the outpouring of support, and he’s glad that his scrappy wife is improving.

“She is one step at a time — doing good, getting better,” he said.

The storm wreaked havoc across the region, knocking out power to more than 130,000 homes and businesses in New England and New York. A gust of 71 mph (114 kph) was recorded in Maine.