ORONO – A large tree branch fell onto the roof of a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Orono during a torrential downpour Sunday afternoon, trapping a mother and her 2-year-old daughter inside the vehicle.

Sgt. Dan Merrill of the Orono Police Department said the sports utility vehicle operated by Isis Bell-Smith, 33, was traveling south on Main Street around 4 p.m. when the branch broke off and hit the vehicle, landing along the entire length of the Jeep Cherokee’s roof.

Bell-Smith’s husband, 30-year-old Ryan Laracy, was able to crawl out of the vehicle, but Orono firefighters had to cut the tree off the car to remove Bell-Smith and her daughter.

All three were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Merrill said. The girl is believed to have suffered some type of neck injury.

Merrill said the road was closed for more than three hours while a tree specialist came in to remove another large tree branch that looked like it might fall into the road.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.