Dash cam video shows falling tree spark explosion during Massachusetts nor'easter

A food delivery driver says he is thankful he was not a few seconds farther down the road after a falling tree crashed onto power lines and sparked an explosion directly in front of his car during Saturday night's nor'easter.

Alex Ferranti was making food deliveries in Ashland, Massachusetts, when his dash camera captured the frightening encounter on West Union Street.

"Quite literally out of the blue, I get what felt like a flashbang straight to my face. I thought it was a lightning strike at point-blank range," Ferranti said.

Dash camera video shows a large tree falling across the road and onto power lines, sending a blast of blue light and sparks into the air as Ferranti slammed on his brakes.

"I felt like I was watching a movie," Ferranti said after reviewing the footage.

Ferranti said he was traveling about 30 mph and trying to drive cautiously on the narrow road in the storm when the flash caught his attention.

"I was trying to keep it casually safe at a narrow road like that. And then I didn't even see the tree bark falling. It was the flash I saw first," Ferranti said.

The tree landed across both sides of the road, blocking traffic. Ferranti said he immediately called 911.

"I had to call 911 to let the authorities know of the situation at hand," he said.

First responders credited Ferranti with paying attention to the road and quickly reporting what happened. Ferranti said he was grateful the tree did not come down just moments later. "I'm so glad I wasn't a few meters ahead," he said.

After the close call, he wanted to make sure the footage was saved so others could see how quickly dangerous conditions can develop.

"My first instinct was to make sure that video clip was saved just so people can be aware of the potential dangers of nature," Ferranti said.

Despite the falling tree, downed wires and blocked road, Ferranti still had a delivery to finish. "I just found my alternate route to the DoorDash customer," he said.

Asked if he still completed the delivery, Ferranti replied, "Oh, yeah. I was thinking, well, I've got to find another route." And when asked whether the customer tipped him well, Ferranti said, "Oh yeah."