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'Total shock.' Tree crashes into Hightstown couple's bedroom overnight during blizzard

A tree snapped in half and crashed through a Hightstown home Sunday night during the snowstorm, missing the couple inside by inches.

Christine Queally

Feb 23, 2026, 5:43 PM

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A tree snapped in half and crashed through a Hightstown home Sunday night during the blizzard, missing the couple inside by inches.

Chris and Diane Pinelli said they were sleeping when they heard a loud bang. It turned out to be the sound of a tree in their backyard cracking from the wind.

The couple said the tree branches pierced their roof in multiple places, including the exact spot in their bedroom where the bed sits.

Chris Pinelli described the moment when a massive branch missed both him and his wife by inches.

"Diane was actually laying sideways, right there underneath that thing, and I was next to it," he said. "It was just total shock. It took a few minutes to gather my thoughts to figure out what was going on...it was just something you don't expect."

The couple was not hurt.

A major blizzard tore through New Jersey Sunday night into Monday, dropping more than 2 feet of snow and knocking out power to tens of thousands of people.

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