A branch crashed onto a minivan on Beaver Dam Road in Bedford, injuring the driver Wednesday morning.

Police say the incident happened at around 8 a.m., when an 8-foot branch broke off a tree and pierced the windshield of a 1998 Mercury Villager. The driver, 42-year-old Alfredo Romero, of Bedford Hills, was taken to Westchester Medical Center with severe injuries to his legs.

"A couple of inches, and that would have been the end of the poor guy," says Lt. Robert Mazurak, of the Bedford Police Department.

Authorities say they aren't sure what caused the branch to fall since the tree appeared to be healthy.