Watch CBS News

Man nearly crushed by trees as strong storms move through NH, Massachusetts

Tree crushes pickup truck in Hollis, NH
Tree crushes pickup truck in Hollis, NH 01:35

BOSTON -- Some severe thunderstorms moved across Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Friday afternoon. 

In Hollis, New Hampshire a storm sent trees and wires down. A man was nearly crushed by trees while sitting in his truck.  

Zachary Leishman was about to pull out of his driveway when in a matter of seconds, the wind and rain uprooted not one, but two trees, crashing onto his truck with him inside.

"I was scared. I didn't want to move," Leishman said. "Pretty much I was freaking out."

Zachary Leishman hollis nh
A truck was crushed by two trees in Hollis, NH, trapping Zachary Leishman inside CBS Boston

Terrified that at any moment, the roof of his truck would give way.

It was a tangled mess of branches and live wires, narrowly missing him by just inches. Leishman waited a long 15 minutes for fire crews to tell him it's OK to get out.

"If this roof collapses, I'm dead. I'm sitting there hoping and praying they get to me because it's minutes," Leishman said. "If I backed up, I would've been dead." 

The Hollis fire department asked drivers to avoid Silver Lake Road, Rocky Pond Road, Wood Lane, and Federal Hill Road. 

waltham-lightning-transfer-frame-0.jpg
Lightning in Waltham on Friday Natasha Arseneau

At times, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties in Massachusetts.   

One viewer in Waltham, Massachusetts was able to get a photo of a lightning bolt. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.