Two police officers in Taichung were crushed by a falling roadside tree while clearing branches off the road, but both survived — a lucky outcome from a dangerous accident.

• A patrol from the city police special unit stopped near Sanmin Road and Gongyuan Road late Wednesday night after spotting branches falling into traffic lanes.
• The officers set out traffic cones and began moving the debris to the roadside when the whole tree was ripped up by the roots and fell across the road.
• Both were pinned under the trunk and canopy and could not get clear in time.
• Firefighters pulled them out and took them to hospital; neither is in life-threatening condition.

Outlook: Police have closed the road while crews remove the tree, and the collapse is likely to raise questions about street tree safety checks in the area.