Powerful Gusts Responsible for Bizarre Injury in Maine

A woman was critically injured when a tree knocked down by powerful gusts fell on the vehicle, driving a tree limb through the windshield and dashboard and impaling her, officials said.

Theresa Roy, 79, was critically injured Tuesday in Sidney, Maine, as gusts topping 70 mph whipped across the region, according to Lt. Chris Read of Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department.

Sidney Fire and Rescue used the jaws of life to reach her and then cut the tree limb with a hand saw so she could be transported to the hospital, said Sidney Fire Chief Richard Jandreau.

She remained hospitalized Wednesday in fair condition at Maine General hospital in Augusta, a spokesperson said. Her husband was also injured but his injuries weren’t as severe, officials said.

The storm wreaked havoc across the region, causing a power line to fall on a bus and destroying a tent for a vaccination clinic in New Hampshire and causing a pileup of more than a dozen vehicles in northern Maine.

The storm also knocked out power to more than 130,000 homes and businesses in New England and New York.

Utility crews were still mopping with several thousand customers still without electricity late Wednesday afternoon in Maine and New Hampshire.