Tree removal truck overturns on New York house

Zion Decoteau and Michael Mahar

13 minutes ago

NORTH GREENBUSH, NY (WTEN) — A New York man got a big surprise when he came outside to find a truck on the roof of his house.

“I didn’t expect anything like this,” said Robert Shappy of North Greenbush.

Shappy told Nexstar’s WTEN that he hired A&J Tree Service to come to his property Monday and remove three trees from his backyard. The homeowner said the company’s truck overturned after it crashed into a septic system on the side of the house.

Shappy said a worker on the crane “went down with it.” He estimates the crane was about 100 feet in the air before it collapsed.

“He kept saying, ‘I’m not hurt. I’m not hurt,'” Shappy said of the worker. “His buddies were there to pull the limbs off of him, and he got up. And he said… ‘I’m okay.'”

Part of the crane’s outrigger ended up in the side wall leading to the home’s study, while the crane’s long arm ended up in the wooded area behind the house.

“I thought they would come, take the trees down, clean up the mess and then leave,” Shappy said, adding that he and his wife will likely stay in a motel while their home is renovated.

Meanwhile, crews worked through the night to remove the truck from its roof. Shappy said he is thankful no one was injured.

A&J Tree Service declined to comment.