A man was seriously injured Saturday afternoon while clearing debris left behind by a tornado in Burlington County, New Jersey, as neighbors and community members continued to rally around those impacted by the storm.
Authorities said the man was using a utility vehicle to move debris in Chesterfield Township when it flipped down an embankment and landed on top of him.
Firefighters said the man was pinned underneath the vehicle. Crews used special airbags to lift it off him so they could pull him to safety.
“After six police cars showed up, there were two fire trucks, an ambulance, another fire truck and another ambulance,” said Seth Tomb, who witnessed the emergency response.
The man was rushed to a waiting medical helicopter and flown to a hospital with serious injuries.
The accident happened just two days after an EF-1 tornado tore through the community Thursday, packing winds of up to 100 mph and leaving behind damaged properties and toppled trees.
Despite the destruction, residents have been coming together to help their neighbors recover.
Outside the home of Cheryl Jones’ parents, a retired farmer was among those helping clear fallen trees from the property.
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“That’s what Chesterfield is all about, the community,” Jones said.
Next door, Homebody Farm was also hit hard by the tornado. Co-owner Liam Duffy said the storm lifted a shed off the property, damaged a greenhouse and tore down fences.
“This is where our shed was. It got lifted up directly this way,” Duffy said.
But amid the damage, Duffy said he has been overwhelmed by the generosity of neighbors and community members offering assistance.
“We’ve gotten dozens of donations, people helping us out with takeout, with home-cooked meals and people have volunteered to sign up, have signed up to volunteer for our clean up days this coming week and weekend,” Duffy said.
The outpouring of support comes as the serious accident serves as a reminder of the dangers that can remain even after a storm has passed.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.