Les Spangler and Pat Chestnut can thank their lucky stars today.
Spangler and Chestnut were traveling  along Hunting Country Road yesterday in a Chevy S10 truck Spangler purchased two weeks ago when a tree fell and landed across the truck’s toolbox just behind the cab.
Chestnut, who was a passenger, said he and Spangler were just riding along talking and all of a sudden the tree hit the truck.
“I saw the tree when it was about two feet from my window,” Chestnut said.
Spangler apparently saw the tree falling and sped up just before it hit, Chestnut said.
Given how close the tree came to hitting the cab, Chestnut says he feels lucky to be alive.
Neither of the men was injured seriously.
The tree was apparently blown down by strong winds around 10 a.m. yesterday just past FENCE on Hunting Country Road.
The fallen tree blocked the road for a brief time, but crews with the Tryon and Columbus fire departments quickly removed the tree from the road.
Polk County EMS, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and N.C. Highway Patrol were also on scene.