A man was seriously injured after getting struck with a tree branch in Brookline Tuesday.
The man was hit just after 3 p.m. in an alley in Brookline. Police told 7News that Belmont Landscape and Tree Service was hired by Chestnut Hill Realty to cut some trees behind their apartments.
A branch about 30 inches in length and 10 inches in width fell and struck an employee at nearby Herb Chambers BMW on Commonwealth Avenue. Police said the branch fell on the worker’s head as he was returning to work after getting lunch from a nearby convenience store.
Herb Chambers BMW said the worker, a 29-year-old man, has been a valet for them for four years. He was transported to Beth Israel Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Yomiris Rodriguez, who works at the convenience store where the victim was coming from, said workers from the tree company told her they did not have barricades up.
“He said they got all the trucks around the fence, so they weren’t expecting anybody was going to walk by the truck,” said Rodriguez. “They were expecting people to walk on the other side.”
Police said no criminal probe is being done as this was simply an accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was on the scene Tuesday to determine if Belmont Landscape and Tree violated workplace safety rules.
Statement from Herb Chambers BMW:
“A valued employee of ours was injured in this serious incident. Our hearts go out to him and his family; we are keeping him in our prayers and ask that you do the same.”