PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — Firefighters worked diligently to pull a driver to safety after he crashed his truck into a tree early Friday morning.

Pawtucket Fire Chief John Trenteseaux tells 12 News firefighters rushed to I-95 South near the Apex building for reports of a car that veered off the highway.

Firefighters arrived to find the truck had smashed into a tree and came to a rest at a roughly 60-degree angle, according to Trenteseaux.

“The vehicle was up against a tree,” he explained. “Basically, that’s what was [stopping] him from going down the hill.”

Trenteseaux said it took two hours for firefighters to secure the truck and free the driver, who was trapped under the steering wheel. He described the rescue efforts as “challenging.”

“We had to work off of ground ladders because of the angle of the hill and everything was slippery under it,” he said. “We used pretty much everything we had at our disposal to get him out of there.”

The driver was brought to the hospital where he is recovering from his injuries. Trenteseaux said at last check, he was doing well.

Trenteseaux said the firefighters did a “phenomenal job” pulling the man to safety.

“It was just a matter of doing it right,” Trenteseaux said. “We didn’t want cause any more damage and made sure everybody was safe.”

“Yes, you could do it faster, but it’s easier to do it safer so nobody gets hurt,” he continued.

The exact cause of the crash is under investigation at this time.