Woman speaks out after tree falls into her car

A woman and her son are lucky to be alive after a large tree smashed into their car Monday afternoon on the Southside.

Melissa Smith said she and her 8-year-old son Caleb were sitting in their driveway for about two minutes before the tree fell onto the car.

“I got some real good guardian angels or something.  Right now they are all probably sitting around the bar,” Smith said after she was released from the hospital.

Smith recalled that she wasn’t able to see her son after the crash even though she was in the driver’s seat and her son was in the passenger’s seat. Smashed glass, shards of metal and the huge 60-year-old tree stopped her from visibly verifying if her son was okay.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department rushed to the home along Ruby Road near Southside Boulevard.

Both mother and son were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

“Seeing the way this car is caved in on the passenger’s side, I don’t know how my baby is not more hurt,” Smith said.

Smith also survived a motorcycle crash three months prior to this incident.

“Somebody was looking out for us,” she said.

Commuters driving along Southside Boulevard near Hogan Road saw heavy delays during Monday evening's commute as emergency crews worked to free the pair.

JEA also arrived on scene to repair a power line that was damaged during the incident.

Action News Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh said the gusty winds that pushed the tree over were likely caused by a microburst.