A rotting tree toppled over and killed a teen on his new motorbike in a freak accident.
Esteban Camilo Samboní Samboní was riding by as it came crashing down.
Horror CCTV footage shows how the girthy trunk began tilting and crushed the 18-year-old.
READ MORE: Bold-as-brass thief steals iPhone from Apple store display
Passers-by could be seen running over to help the teenager after he was squashed by the timber.
Samboní, whose friends called him “Sambo”, had only bought his bike 20 days earlier.
It doesn’t appear to have been particularly windy when the tree fell on Tuesday (14 Jan) afternoon.
Local shopkeeper Claudia Paz told reporters: “We tried to find a way to get him out to see if we could do anything for the young man.
“But no, he was trapped in the branches.
“He died instantly. It looked like his chest and abdomen were crushed, affecting vital organs.
“While we were checking on him, others called the fire brigade.”
The emergency services arrived at the scene a short while later and cordoned off a lane to recover the body.
Eyewitness Lina María Meneses recounted: “The firefighters cleared away the onlookers and then slowly began cutting the tree branches.
“They worked carefully, step by step, until they were able to remove the young man’s lifeless body.”
It’s believed the tree toppled onto the Pan-American Highway in Popayán, southwest of Bogota, Colombia, because it had started to decay.
Local chicken rotisserie owner Álvaro Vargas said: “It’s clear that the tree collapsed because its base and roots were rotten.
“It makes you wonder if there are proper inspections in place to address these situations and prevent such emergencies.”
Samboní lived in Popayán and cut hair for a living, as reported by Need To Know.
Local radio station Radio TCU said: “He was a charismatic young man, a passionate barber, a devoted América de Cali fan, and a futsal enthusiast.”
READ MORE: Brazen crook pinches e-bike by using angle grinder to slice through two locks
