A Falling Branch, A Quick Call: How An Amazon Driver May Have Saved A Princeton Man's Life

PRINCETON, NJ — Friends of an elderly Princeton man who was seriously injured when a tree limb fell on him recently are hoping to track down and thank the Amazon driver who found him and called for help.

According to a Princeton Police report, officers responded to the area of Davies Drive and Arreton Road at approximately 11:16 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, after a report of a fallen tree limb with someone underneath it. Police found the 78-year-old man lying beneath the limb, conscious and breathing, but suffering from a head injury and other injuries.

The Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad and Princeton Fire Department were called to the scene, and the man was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The driver, identified in the police report as Jeangel Rodriguez-Rodriguez, 27, of Edison, told officers he was on his delivery route when he saw the limb blocking the roadway. As he approached to move it, he discovered the man trapped underneath and immediately called 911, choosing not to move the branch himself out of concern for worsening the man's injuries, according to the report.

Two passersby, both of Princeton, told police they stopped after seeing the tree blocking the road. The pair, along with Rodriguez-Rodriguez, moved a smaller branch that had landed on the man's chest before police arrived, the report states.

Officers determined the limb fell from a height of about 30 feet; the tree itself otherwise appeared healthy. It remains unclear whether the tree stands on municipal property or land owned by the Princeton Ridge Homeowners Association. The town's arborist was notified and planned to inspect the tree.

The man has no known family, according to police. Nancy Maloney, a friend who has helped him with everyday tasks in recent years and had been listed as his emergency contact, described how that role came about.

"I was his realtor for an unsuccessful real estate transaction a few years ago," Maloney said. "My family and I continued to help him with some everyday tasks at his home, including working with someone in the municipal offices to set him up with Meals on Wheels."

Maloney said she was listed as his emergency contact because he has no known family. When Meals on Wheels called to report he hadn't answered the door, she made calls that helped locate him and alert other friends who have known him longer and have since stepped in to help coordinate his care and plan for his recovery.

"It is all kind of bizarre and certainly not the call I expected to get," Maloney said, "but the hospital was so happy someone called about him and got the wheels in motion for his recovery plan."

The man is still hospitalized, recovering from his many surgeries.

Maloney said she hopes to see the driver publicly recognized for his actions.

"I would certainly try to have him recognized by the municipality for being an everyday hero," she said, adding that attempts to reach him through Amazon customer service have so far been unsuccessful.

Maloney urged residents to use caution when walking or driving near trees, particularly after storms or high winds, when weakened limbs are more likely to fall without warning.

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