Two Cops Were Almost Crushed by Falling Tree During Hurricane Sandy

The stories from Hurricane Sandy never cease to amaze.

Cops from the 70th Precinct were on the street for the entirety of Hurricane Sandy, responding to emergency situations as they were reported by neighbors. When the trees began to fall, the police were there. Two cops from the 70th responded to a fallen tree in the area, said Inspector Eric Rodriguez, and were almost crushed when another tree fell on their vehicle. The two officers survived but the car has seen better days.

At last night’s Community Board 14 meeting, Inspector Rodriguez detailed what 70th Precinct officers were doing during the storm. In addition to the close call in our neighborhood, there were many more further south. Over half a dozen cops had to be taken to the hospital, including for hypothermia related to the storm surge. When would-be looters stole firemen’s uniforms and began approaching empty houses, said Rodriguez, the police were able get right on top of the situation and arrest the offenders.

Since the storm, the police have stopped several scam artists including one fraudulently posing as a Red Cross worker.

Not all the trees hit hard by Sandy have fallen yet, though many look like they won’t last past Wednesday’s storm. Inspector Rodriguez urged neighbors to stay inside when the storm hits Wednesday evening.