Tree falls on moving car in Irmo, firefighters say

A woman was driving on Piney Grove Road early Friday morning when stormy conditions caused a tree to fall onto her car.

Firefighters from the Irmo Fire District responded when the vehicle’s roof was crushed by a large pine tree knocked over by the wind as the woman drove down the street. The car continued down Piney Grove for several hundred more yards before coming to a stop in someone’s yard against another tree, the fire district said.

The woman was trapped inside the vehicle, while firefighters and Lexington County EMS worked to remove her. She was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive, firefighters said.

The Midlands of South Carolina are currently under a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Ian approaches the South Carolina coast on Friday. Wind speeds in parts of the area could reach up to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Emergency officials urge drivers to use caution due to tropical storm conditions in the Midlands caused by Hurricane Ian, and to avoid unnecessary travel.