JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A crane trying to lift part of a tree being removed from a Westside home instead pulled a truck upright Saturday afternoon. No one was hurt, but the roof over the living room of the home was crushed and a neighboring home was also damaged.
The tree removal was being done at a residence on Red Holly Lane near Trinity Baptist Church by Al’s Tree Service and Builder’s Diversified when something went wrong, forcing the cab of the crane truck at least 30 feet in the air.
Homeowner Fay Aleria said that tree service workers told the crane operator not to grab such a big portion of the tree, but they did it anyway.
Aleria said seconds later, the crane plowed into her home and the truck tipped upright.
PHOTOS: Truck forced upright in tree removal mishap
“I'm just glad nobody was inside and nobody got hurt,” Aleria said. “I'm glad the crane operator didn't get hurt. I guess he jumped off.”
The crane went through Aleria’s living room when the truck was forced upright. It also damaged the house behind Aleria’s. A puppy was inside the home when crane went through the roof, but was not hurt
“We just wanted a tree removed from our backyard and then this happens,” she said.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue and two other large cranes came to the scene. After several hours, neighbors watching the recovery efforts cheered as the original crane truck was back on four wheels and the crane was off the house.
JFRD instructed the family to find a temporary shelter. Aleria said her family planning on staying with a neighbor for the night.
Aleria is hoping her insurance company will cover most of the damage to her home and her valuables inside.
Builders Diversified reached out to News4Jax in a statement:
Our biggest objective today was making sure that everyone was safe and the crane was brought down safely without further damage being done. We will be doing a full investigation of the incident and will be happy to provide a statement when we know the details. Again, today our biggest concern was making sure everyone was safe and the home owners house secured.. We thank JSO and JFRD for all the time and their diligence. BDS regrets the accident happened."