Fallen Tree Traps Tenn. Man on Christmas Eve

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. --

A Clarksville man is recovering from serious injuries after he was trapped more than 30 minutes in his car when a tree crashed onto his vehicle.

Richard Moreno, 48, had made it about a third of the way across the Red River bridge when high winds brought the tree crashing down last Thursday. Once he was hit, he began drifting in and out of consciousness.

"I knew I was hurt bad because I could feel it. I could hear (rescuers) asking me, "Are you alright? Are you alright?" said Moreno. "I didn't know what hit me."

Moreno was trapped inside his Nissan Sentra, and live power lines strewn across the car made a scary situation even scarier.

Bystanders, firefighters and electric crews all worked together to get him out safely.

"These people, it's amazing what they do," said Moreno.

Moreno is recovering from four broken ribs, bruising and cuts all over his head but said he's thankful to be alive after the harrowing experience.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining the Red River Bridge and the trees around it. Representatives from the department said up until now there has never been a problem in that area.

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