MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WPTV) — A driver survived after a large oak tree toppled over and smashed his truck’s windshield, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident happened Monday along SR-714, also known as Martin Highway, near Selah Drive. Deputies say heavy wind gusts caused the large, rotted oak tree to fall into the roadway and collide with a Toyota Tacoma as it came down.
The impact sent large limbs through the windshield, striking the driver on the side of his head, deputies said.
The driver was transported by ground to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center with minor injuries.
Longtime drivers of the route said beauty and danger go hand-in-hand along Martin Highway.
“It’s just oak trees all the way down the line. Over the years and decades they have crowded over the road and created this beautiful canopy effect,” said Okeechobee resident Graham Foy, who travels the road daily.
Foy explained he avoids the route when the wind picks up.
“It really doesn’t take much more than a 30 mph wind to bring something crashing down,” said Foy.
Another driver, Chris McCarty, said storms send debris everywhere.
“There’s usually brush flying everywhere, especially palm fronds,” she said.
After listening to these drivers concerns, WPTV’s Cassandra Garcia asked the county what is being done to prevent these types of incidents.
Martin County told her the following in a statement:
“The County conducts annual evaluations and maintenance of all roadways and related assets. The most recent maintenance on County Road 714 occurred in October 2025 and included vegetation management, undergrowth clearing, and tree removal.
County crews also perform routine post-storm assessments and cleanup. During removal of the fallen tree involved in the accident, an inspection observed a healthy, green canopy, which would not have warranted further evaluation under standard assessment protocols.”
Both Foy and McCarty said they wouldn’t want to see the scenic route destroyed, but hope maintenance keeps pace with the hazards. For them, Martin Highway is as dangerous in high winds as it is beautiful on a sunny day.
“I would tell everyone out there, slow down on that road, because at least that will give you a chance to maybe stop before the branches fall,” Foy said.
“Mother nature always wins, that’s what I always say,” added McCarty.
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