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Tree falls, injures 18-year-old in Allegheny Township

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A teenager is being cared for at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital after officials said part of a tree fell on his head while he was working Monday morning in Westmoreland County.

First responders were called to a wooded area in Allegheny Township around 9:30 a.m. along Lusesco Road.

Police Chief Duane Fisher said an 18-year-old Amish man from Punxsutawney was part of a crew who was hired by a neighbor to harvest trees to partially clear the land. The chief explained what may have happened.

“It looks like the tree he was working on kicked loose, either the tree or limb itself struck him as it came down on his head, knocking him unconscious,” said Fisher.

First responders found the man deep in the woods. Some paramedics, police officers and firefighters had to carry him 300 feet to a nearby field to safety. The man was placed in an ambulance to be stabilized and then taken to the hospital by a medical helicopter.

Since tree trimming and logging can be dangerous, the police chief is sharing a warning.

“This is the second call that we’ve had within the last year where someone was struck in the township while working on a tree, so I would just ask people whether you are professional or not, just be very careful if you’re going to try to trim trees,” said Fisher.

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