Winterport Man Killed When a Tree Fell on His Car During Storm

A  man died in a freak accident in Searsport during Saturday's storm as he was traveling home to celebrate his young child's birthday.

What Happened?

For most of us, the storm was an inconvenience, with power outages and maybe some debris to clean up in the yard. But for one family from Winterport, it turned tragic as their husband/father died in a freak accident on his way home.

Gary Phillips, 50, of Winterport was driving home from the gym when he died Saturday at around 9:00 in the morning. As he traveled through Searsport, the Waldo County Sheriff's Office says a large tree fell on his vehicle, pulling power lines down with it. Rescue crews arrived quickly, but they couldn't get to Phillips until Central Maine Power shut off the electricity.

Get our free mobile app

How Old Is His Daughter?

WGME-TV spoke with Phillips' wife, Hailee, who said they were getting ready to celebrate their 5-year-old daughter's birthday on Saturday, when her husband died. Hailee was on the phone with Gary when she heard him yell and then heard a big crash.

Is There a Way We Can Help?

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help cover the cost of his final expenses. On the page, organizer Tiffany Benson describes Gary this way:

Gary's love for life, family, and friends was infectious. He had an unwavering love and devotion for Hailee and Kinslee that could never be matched.

As of this writing, over $15,000 had been raised for Phillips' family.

Our sincerest condolences to Hailee, their daughter, and Gary's family and friends.