SCDF rescue trapped person after tree falls on pickup truck at Ophir Road, 3 taken to hospital

A person was trapped in the driver's seat of a pickup truck after a large tree fell on the vehicle along Ophir Road on Thursday evening (Sept 21).

The person was subsequently rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and taken to hospital.

Stompers Stephanie and Thomas alerted Stomp to the incident and shared photos and videos taken at the scene.

"A tree fell onto two to three cars and damaged the front windscreen of a pickup truck along Ophir Road, just before the entrance to Our Lady of Lourdes Church," said Stephanie.

"Traffic was almost impossible with only the left-most lane slightly passable to vehicles.

"There was traffic tailback to the junction of Little India.

"Paramedics were seen lifting a man into an ambulance, most likely the driver of the pickup.

"Hopefully, the injured get well soon."

Thomas added that he witnessed the lanes were closed and the resulting jam at about 6.50pm.

"In the video, the front of the truck can be seen to be crushed," he said.

In response to a Stomp query, the SCDF said they received a call for assistance along Ophir Road, near Rochor Canal Road at about 6.35pm.

"Upon SCDF's arrival, a pickup truck was seen trapped under a fallen tree, " an SCDF spokesperson said.

"With the assistance from a nearby lorry crane, the tree was lifted from the pickup truck while SCDF used hydraulic equipment to rescue a person trapped in the driver's seat of the pickup truck."

Two other people who were in the front cabin of the pickup truck, and another person in the rear of the pickup truck had managed to get out of the vehicle before SCDF arrived.

The person rescued from the driver's seat of the pickup was taken by SCDF to Tan Tock Seng while another two people who were in the front cabin of the vehicle were taken to Raffles Hospital.