A U-Haul-style truck in North Hollywood dragged a massive tree limb down a residential street, smashing parked cars as stunned neighbors jumped out of the way.
Story Highlights
- Los Angeles police say a truck struck a large tree branch, which then lodged in the vehicle and hit parked cars.
- Officers received calls around 10:30 a.m. near Lankershim Boulevard and La Maida Street.
- Police said the branch damaged about a dozen vehicles, and early reports showed dramatic video of the impact.
- LAPD said no arrests were made and the incident appeared accidental, with no reported injuries.
Police Account: Branch Lodged, Dozen Cars Damaged
Los Angeles Police Department officials said the eastbound truck on La Maida Street struck a large tree branch. The branch ripped off, lodged between the truck and its trailer, and then slammed into parked cars along the street as the driver continued toward Lankershim Boulevard. Police said the moving branch damaged about 12 vehicles. Video shared with local outlets showed a large limb wedged in the truck and smashing into car after car as it rolled through the neighborhood.
Police said officers received calls at about 10:30 a.m. near Lankershim Boulevard and La Maida Street in North Hollywood. The agency’s early review found the event appeared to be an accident. Police said no injuries were reported and no arrests were made at the scene. A man identified as Clark Sean Heisler told reporters his car was totaled, and he said he had to dodge the approaching branch as it scraped along the curb line.
What Witnesses Saw On The Block
Video from the scene showed a U-Haul-style truck with a broken tree limb jammed into the chassis and trailer. The limb swung into vehicles as the truck moved, denting panels and shattering glass before scraping the roadway. Neighbors yelled for the driver to stop as they stepped back from the curb. Reporters said the driver was not publicly identified. Local outlets reported police said the driver may not have known the limb was lodged as it dragged along.
KTLA reported that police described the sequence in detail, including the initial strike on the tree and the branch becoming stuck between the truck and trailer. CBS Los Angeles placed the incident near the residential stretch just off Lankershim Boulevard, where cars line both sides of La Maida Street on weekends and weekdays. ABC7 said the exact number of damaged vehicles was not fully clear from public counts, even as police estimates cited about a dozen.
Safety Context: Trees, Streets, And Responsibility
Federal Highway Administration research shows most deadly crashes involve vehicles leaving their lane, and many involve fixed objects such as trees. About 56 percent of fatal crashes are roadway departures, and trees or utility poles make up a large share of the fixed objects struck. Those data focus on high-severity run-off-road crashes, not slow urban drags like this one, but they show trees are a known hazard when vehicles and branches meet in tight rights-of-way.
On November 7, 2026, at 7:35 a.m., #teamHCSO deputies responded to a gas station on North Dale Mabry Highway after a 911 caller reported two unresponsive people inside a U-Haul van. As deputies approached, the van began rolling forward, with two children unsecured in the back.… pic.twitter.com/o8TpR1wsGr
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) November 9, 2026
California law and driver handbooks warn against unsafe or unsecured loads that create a danger for others on the road. While police called this incident accidental, any driver pulling a trailer in a dense neighborhood must scan mirrors, listen for changes, and stop if something feels wrong. Cities also share a duty to trim street trees that overhang lanes. When both sides do their part, families are safer on their own blocks, and neighbors do not wake to find their cars wrecked curbside.
What Comes Next In Los Angeles
Police said the early disposition did not include an arrest, and no injuries were reported. Reporters said the driver’s name was not released, and U-Haul did not respond to questions at the time of publication. Residents with damage will likely work through insurance claims. City leaders should review tree trimming, sight lines, and posted truck routes on residential streets. Simple fixes can prevent heavy vehicles from turning a quiet block into a rolling wrecking bar.
Sources:
washingtontimes.com, ktla.com, cbsnews.com, abc7.com, aol.co.uk, abc7news.com
