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Landscaper dealt blow after tree crashes onto truck: 'This is how I make my living'

By Elsa Gillis
By Elsa Gillis

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Strong storms blew through the Charlotte region over the weekend, leaving some neighbors cleaning up well into Monday morning.

[IMAGES: Sunday's storms]

A massive tree has been blocking Seldon Drive in west Charlotte since Saturday afternoon. Beneath it is Markus Hampton’s truck, windows shattered and trailer bent.

Hampton was left devastated because the truck and trailer are vital to how he makes a living as a landscaper.

Hampton told Channel 9 reporter Elsa Gillis that he was out in his yard Saturday when the storm passed through. He went inside and seconds later, the tree came down.

His daughter was the first to see what happened and he rushed outside to view the damage.

Fortunately, he's been able to salvage most of his equipment, but his vehicle is badly damaged. Hampton said the downed tree is also a safety issue because when it’s dark, drivers have almost crashed into it.

City crews came out to Hampton’s property over the weekend to put up roadblocks and told him they had several other calls to respond to, so he knows he's not alone.

But it's still been a tough few days.

“I stepped in the house for a moment, just a moment and that moment changed to this,” Hampton told Channel 9. “This is kind of hard -- this is how I make my living.”

Hampton said he is waiting for city crews to come back out and remove what's in the road, and then he'll be able to see if his vehicle and trailer are salvageable.

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