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ABrooklyn family is counting their blessings after a terrifying near-miss with a falling tree in Bensonhurst.
The dramatic moment, caught on surveillance footage, shows the trio narrowly dodging the massive tree as it suddenly crashed to the ground just behind them.
How a tree collapse nearly crushed a family
Ben and Shelly Kerstein, along with Shelly's brother Michael, were walking to a family gathering on Saturday afternoon when they noticed the aging tree.
"'Wow! Look at that tree, it's quite old,'"Ben recalled.
"And as we're getting under the tree, you start hearing cracking, and I finally got to the other side of the tree and it was down."
In the footage, the group can be seen chatting casually, unaware of the danger looming above them.
Moments later, the tree began to tilt, its weakened structure giving way.
The Kersteins reacted quickly, running just in time to avoid being crushed.
After the tree fell, it became clear just how fragile it had been.
The inside was completely hollow, filled with nothing but dust.
"It was an older tree. It was super dead, but enough that if it had landed on us, we would've been dead,"Ben said.
While the tree has since been removed, its collapse has raised questions about maintenance.
The New York City Parks Department stated that the tree was not under their jurisdiction, as it was on private property.
The homeowner declined to comment.
For the Kersteins, the incident was a chilling reminder of how quickly things can change.
"I just can't imagine the thought process if our kids had been a few feet behind us,"Ben said.
Shelly agreed, adding that their children could have been flattened had they been with them.
Despite the frightening experience, Ben found a reason to celebrate, literally.
Just seconds after the near-tragedy, he was caught on camera dancing.
"There was no other way, God saved us. We had to celebrate, you know," he said.
The couple's streak of unexpected events continued days later when they got two flat tires on the expressway.
But even then, their perspective remained the same.
"We're still dancing,"Ben said.