‘Oh my God, there’s a boat coming!’ 70-year-old Saugus woman unscathed after boat lands on SUV

SAUGUS, Mass. — A 70-year-old Saugus retiree is in good spirits after a boat landed on top of her SUV near the Route 1 on-ramp. Marcia Procopio was headed to go golfing around 3 p.m. Tuesday when her drive came to a screeching halt.

Procopio told Boston 25 News she contemplated jumping out of her vehicle as she saw a boat coming right at her. The boat had just become unhitched from a pickup truck driving in the opposite direction on Walnut Street.

Fire officials said a safety chain on the trailer apparently broke, which led to the wild accident.

“I said, ‘oh my God, there’s a boat coming,’” Procopio recalled. “I saw it heading right towards me, and I knew there was nothing I could do.”

The retired mail carrier clung to her steering wheel and braced for the worst. She was amazed that she didn’t suffer a single scratch after the boat crashed down onto the roof of her SUV.

“I’m still shaking! I was trembling,” Procopio said. “The car is totaled; that’s okay. Who cares?”

The man who was driving the pickup truck with his boat in tow is a Chelsea firefighter. It’s unclear if any citations will be issued in connection with the accident.

“He came over right away. He was so nice. He was so nervous. I felt bad,” she explained. “It’s no one’s fault. It’s an accident. Things happen.”

What she hasn’t lost sight of is the fact that she walked away without a single scratch. Procopio believes her strong faith played a role in that.

“I have God in my life, and, you know, life isn’t easy. There’s always something, but I thank him every day of my life,” Procopio said. “Life is good.”

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