A City of Selma General Services employee was seriously injured Sunday while removing fallen trees along Mabry Street that were brought down by last week’s hurricane.

Herman Ellis, a member of the city’s storm clean up crew, was working with the General Services and Public Works departments cutting down trees when one of them fell and struck him across the back.

The incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. and Ellis was quickly rushed by ambulance to Vaughan Regional Medical Center.

According to the office of Mayor James Perkins, Jr., Ellis suffered from two broken ribs and a fractured bone near his spine.

Zaneta Lowe, director of marketing and public relations at Vaughan, said Ellis is currently listed in fair condition.

Perkins said he regrets the injuries Ellis received and the city is closely monitoring his recovery progress.

Though Selma citizens are asking for a swift clean up of the storm damage, Perkins said, this accident is an example of why safety cannot be sacrificed for speed.

“The men and women (of the city clean up crew) are working as fast as they can, but safety must be and remain a priority,” Perkins said.

Public Works head Tommy Smith said last week that the crew has been clearing damaged and fallen trees across public property since Thursday afternoon.

Smith and

the city clean up crew have also been working with Alabama Power to clear tree branches that have fallen on top of power lines.

So far, no other injures from the work crews have been reported.