'There's a tree sitting in the driver's seat, sticking out'
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SNOHOMISH, Wash. -- Heavy wind and tall trees don't get along very well sometimes. Just ask the Minkel family.
In rural Snohomish, finding the right spot to park isn't as easy as you might think. Space isn't the issue, but sometimes luck is.
That was the problem with the Minkels' Mitsubishi pickup, which got impaled by a cedar tree, like a toothpick through a tater tot.
The truck belongs to Tyler and Nicole Minkel. It was Tyler's very first car. It has now gone to pickup truck heaven.
"We're like, 'There's a tree through your truck. And none of us knew how it happened.' And it was a sight to see," said NIcole Minkel.
"There's a tree sitting in the driver's seat, sticking out. That's the best way to put it," said Tyler Minkel.
The good news is that the driver-side window is intact. The bad news is it might be hard to reach the gas pedal from here on out. Taking it out of first gear might not be all that easy either.
And then there was the insurance dillema for Tyler's parents. Removal of the tree was quoted at $3,200. The tree was insured, but the truck wasn't. And so the insurance company said it would not pay.
And if they left it all the way it was, and the tree fell down and hit the house -- which it could, insurance wouldn't pay for that either, because the Minkels knew about the tree and didn't have it removed.
But then came along a guy named Rocky Myers from a company called City Tree. He said he'd take the job.
"We'll bring the crane in, come down the driveway, set up right there. We'll come in right over the top, and we'll take it out in one piece," Myers said.
And he said he'd do it free of charge.
"The tree is in a precarious position. My wife said this is one of those times we need to help out. So we're going to help out," he said.
It will take 14 hours to extract the stake from the heart of the Mitsubishi.
And Nicole and Tyler will want to reconsider their parking choices in the future.
In rural Snohomish, finding the right spot to park isn't as easy as you might think. Space isn't the issue, but sometimes luck is.
That was the problem with the Minkels' Mitsubishi pickup, which got impaled by a cedar tree, like a toothpick through a tater tot.
The truck belongs to Tyler and Nicole Minkel. It was Tyler's very first car. It has now gone to pickup truck heaven.
"We're like, 'There's a tree through your truck. And none of us knew how it happened.' And it was a sight to see," said NIcole Minkel.
"There's a tree sitting in the driver's seat, sticking out. That's the best way to put it," said Tyler Minkel.
The good news is that the driver-side window is intact. The bad news is it might be hard to reach the gas pedal from here on out. Taking it out of first gear might not be all that easy either.
And then there was the insurance dillema for Tyler's parents. Removal of the tree was quoted at $3,200. The tree was insured, but the truck wasn't. And so the insurance company said it would not pay.
And if they left it all the way it was, and the tree fell down and hit the house -- which it could, insurance wouldn't pay for that either, because the Minkels knew about the tree and didn't have it removed.
But then came along a guy named Rocky Myers from a company called City Tree. He said he'd take the job.
"We'll bring the crane in, come down the driveway, set up right there. We'll come in right over the top, and we'll take it out in one piece," Myers said.
And he said he'd do it free of charge.
"The tree is in a precarious position. My wife said this is one of those times we need to help out. So we're going to help out," he said.
It will take 14 hours to extract the stake from the heart of the Mitsubishi.
And Nicole and Tyler will want to reconsider their parking choices in the future.
14 hrs to remove the tree with a boom truck....C'mon who you BSing?
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Maybe 3.5 man hr job, unless the truck is coming from Boston
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Yeah it's nice to know there are people that will step up and help their fellow man when the insurance company won't. Have to second Grumpa's comment. Who's the company?
I want the name of the insurance company for my records the ones I keep about companies I will not do business with in the future!?
Anchor it down, put some Christmas lights on it, and call it a day
 @31F LOL...
It's so nice when you read about someone taking the time to help others in need!
The bright side is no one was hurt.Â
Cedar is expensive. Â City Tree should be able to recover at least part of its expenses from sale of the lumber. Â
 @Opus8no5 A common misconception. People call our tree service (not City Tree) all the time asking if we will take down their tree for free if we "get to" keep the wood. That's like offering the grass clippings to a landscaper. The wood is a pain in the butt to get rid of and we charge extra (gasp!) to haul it away. Props to City Tree! That's a pretty big job.
I have a better idea... Grow yourself some balls, buy a chainsaw and gasp!!! You get that tree outta' there for $100 without bothering anyone else.Â
 @PortSCUM Did you watch the video?  It will take special equipment to get that tree taken care of.  A crane and 14 hours of work.  Maybe they plan to lay it down and let the homeowner cut it up from there with a chainsaw, but no way could an average person manage a job like that.  BIG props to Rocky and his company.
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 @Wildstar  @PortSCUM you really think she looks like that?
@lovinTruth @Wildstar @PortSCUM You really think she is a she and not a he?
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Eric Johnson, I love your writing style. "like a toothpick through a tater tot." That cracked me up.Â
Sorry for the hardship these poor kids are facing. Bless you Mr. Myers!
Maybe they'll buy insurance for their vehicles in the future. If they were at fault in a traffic accident with that vehicle, who would pay?Â
@traceywo As Ms Shilling said, they no doubt had liability insurance on the truck, as is required by state law, so that if they had an at fault accident the other person's damages and medical would be covered. Collision (coverage in case your vehicle hit something) and Comprehensive (coverage for things such as theft and for when something hits your vehicle, such as a rock off the road or - in this case - a tree falling on your parked car) are not required by law. The truck itself was probably an old truck that wasn't worth much and if it wasn't for the tree being a threat to the house they would simply say, "Bummer" and move on.
@traceywo Im sure on a truck that old that they would only carry "Liability Only".Which means his truck ISN'T INSURED for this.  But if he were in a traffc accident where he was "at fault" his "Liabitlity" insurance would cover the other dirver. We need to stop assuming the worst about people. I swear I see that so much lately!! Can't you just be happy no body was in the car, and that there are stil people around like Rocky Meyers??
 @traceywo The story does not say if the truck is driven at all either. They kind of left that part of the story out.
In Seattle, they would need a permit to remove the tree- maybe a environment impact study and a neighborhood stakeholders meeting.
And who would insure a 20 year-old truck like that? That's the whole point of buying a beater.
 @I Like Meat I have full coverage on my 30yr old Jeep. The insurance is mainly in the event of an accident, those involved are covered. Not so much the vehicle damage, but medical. I do have an agreed value of $25,000 on it in case its totaled.
 @JeepRex As a fellow Jeep owner, old Jeeps need some type of insurance.  You never know what could fall off.
 @31F Honk if parts fall off....
 @JeepRex Yea..but that mid 80's Mighty Max probably isn't worth the cost of carrying comp and collision on it. It's a shame though...good dump run truck.