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A massive tree collapsed on top of a medical transport van filled with six children on Wednesday afternoon as severe thunderstorms swept through Chicago’s Northwest Side, according to a report by CBS News Chicago.
The driver, Michael McIntosh, was operating a Riveredge Hospital van when the weather conditions rapidly deteriorated in the Portage Park neighborhood.
McIntosh pulled the vehicle over on Henderson Street to drop off 11-year-old passenger Ethan Duran just before the giant tree uprooted and crashed onto the roof.
The force of the impact caved the roof in directly above the occupants.
McIntosh told CBS News Chicago that the roof bounced off his head during the collision before he immediately turned his attention to checking on the safety of the children in the back.
The driver quickly initiated an emergency evacuation to get all six children out of the damaged vehicle.
Ethan Duran later noted that the vehicle frame prevented the roof from collapsing entirely and causing severe injuries.
Local resident Soledad Galban, Ethan’s mother, heard a loud boom outside her home during the peak of the storm.
Galban and her family immediately ran outside to assist the driver and passengers.
The Galban family gathered all six children from the street and brought them safely inside their home to shelter from the ongoing storm.
Once inside, the residents assisted the children in contacting their parents to report the incident.
Ethan Duran stated that the experience caused him to cry and experience physical shaking due to fear.
McIntosh praised the children for trusting his instructions during the emergency evacuation.
The driver reported that parents arrived at the Henderson Street scene shortly after the incident to pick up their children.
Though neighbors placed an emergency call to 911, McIntosh told CBS News Chicago that news outlets arrived at the scene before police officers or ambulances.
No injuries were reported among the six children or the driver following the incident.
Portage Park neighbors gathered on Henderson Street after the storm passed to manually clear smaller tree branches from the roadway.
The falling tree also caused property damage to a nearby lamppost and several parked vehicles.
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McIntosh expressed immense gratitude that he and the children survived the severe vehicle impact without injury.
City workers spent Wednesday evening removing both the crushed van and the fallen tree from the roadway.
High winds caused widespread damage across other portions of the city during the same storm system.
A Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation worker reported downed trees throughout Michigan Avenue.
In the Loop, severe wind gusts knocked down large tree branches across areas surrounding Grant Park.
Municipal cleanup crews arrived in the downtown area shortly after the storm to clear the blocked paths.
In the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side, the severe weather completely removed the roof from a local winery.
Forestry crews with the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation remain deployed across multiple neighborhoods to address emergency calls.
City officials advise residents to exercise extreme caution around downed trees and downed power lines.
The city instructs property owners to report all fallen trees and blocked roadways directly to the 311 system.
Municipal representatives asked residents for patience as emergency crews systematically work through the high volume of storm cleanup requests.
