Elmont woman sues North Hempstead, Nassau County after tree branch impales her leg

An Elmont woman is suing Nassau County and the Town of North Hempstead because her leg was impaled by a tree branch that fell on her car in Roslyn Heights near the Northern State Parkway.

Jasmine Massey, 58, filed the lawsuit last week against Nassau County and the Town of North Hempstead after the tree branch crashed through the windshield of her friend’s red Lexus as Massey was driving onto the parkway at Roslyn Road on Dec. 5, 2024, state police said at the time.

Massey told Newsday her right leg was impaled and her other leg was pinned beneath the tree branch against her steering wheel. 

"It's a miracle I'm alive," Massey said on Wednesday. "I had a big hole in my leg and the doctor was so good and blessed. After surgery, he told my family it was a miracle and he don’t know how I survived."

The lawsuit says the county and the town "were negligent and careless in failing to provide a safe place for [Massey] and others to utilize the roadway."

The lawsuit said the county and town owned and managed the property near the westbound on-ramp to the parkway, including the trees on the land.

Massey’s suit argues the municipalities didn't properly maintain the trees, by "not removing any diseased, weakened and/or damaged branches from said trees, which caused an unsafe, dangerous and hazardous condition" near the parkway.

Massey filed a claim in March 2025. She appeared in a claim hearing last year with the town and Nassau County declined the claim that month, saying Nassau didn't have jurisdiction of the road. County officials said it was the responsibility of the state Department of Transportation. 

North Hempstead town officials on Wednesday declined comment on the pending litigation other than to say they have responded to the claim.

Massey’s Kew Gardens-based attorney Dennis P. Ryan could not be reached for comment.

Massey told Newsday in a 2024 interview that the tree branch stabbed her right thigh and she called 911. Several witnesses stopped to help her and Roslyn firefighters had to free her from the car. She was taken to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, where she had surgery to remove splinters and repair her right leg. The branch did not break her femur or pierce her artery. 

Massey said she has trouble standing for more than 15 minutes and has pain when she lies down. She still has "a pretty big dent" in her thigh, she said

The suit is seeking unspecified damages to be determined in court.

Massey wants the trees to be maintained and dry branches cut down, she said.

"Whenever I have a chance, I pray to Jesus this tree doesn't fall on me. I’m scared when I’m driving and even if it's a little bit windy, I’m very panicked and think this tree is going to fall on me," Massey said. "If something happened to me, I don't want it to happen to anyone else."

Newsday's Nicholas Grasso contributed to this story.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.