Tyson Ramirez, a doctoral student in economics at the University of Washington, was on his way home one Tuesday night when disaster struck. A massive tree, uprooted by severe weather, came crashing down directly onto his car. As he sat in the driver's seat, he could sense the impending impact and braced himself. "I kind of just slumped back in my seat a little bit, bracing for impact, and sure enough, the tree crashes," Ramirez recounted. Little did he know that it was the entire body of the tree that would land on his vehicle.

Pinioned Inside: A Terrifying Experience

The tree caved in the car's roof, trapping Ramirez inside. He managed to move to the passenger side but was unable to escape. "The tree was totally horizontal on my car, pinning both the driver's side and passenger side doors, and I was stuck," he said. Bystanders quickly came to his aid and called 911. One kind soul even took photos for him while they waited for help to arrive. "She said, 'Well, do you want me to take your picture?' Her reasoning was, 'You might never get to see this angle again.' At first, it threw me off, but she was right," Ramirez added.For nearly 90 minutes, Ramirez remained pinned in the car. The firefighters worked tirelessly to free him and bring him to safety. Once he was pulled out, he hugged them tightly, expressing his deep gratitude. "Once I was pulled out, I gave them the tightest hug. I was so thankful to go home that night," he said. "You see it in TV shows [and] movies, but you never expect this to happen in real life."Ramirez's mother was overjoyed that her son walked away unharmed. She firmly believes in happy endings. "I can't even believe I walked away from that," Ramirez said. "Whether it be angels, whether it be God, the amazing firefighters at Squad 31, I was really blessed that night."Ramirez's car was a total loss, and he is now in the process of getting a new one. His family set up a GoFundMe to assist him with the expenses. This incident has left a lasting impact on him, and he hopes to share his story to raise awareness about the power of nature and the importance of preparedness.