What happened
According to the pilot's account, the incident occurred while the aircraft was taxiing toward the fuel pump following a landing. The pilot noted that the aircraft was moving at an excessive speed for the conditions. When the pilot applied the hand brake in an attempt to reduce speed, the mechanism failed to function as intended.
Unable to slow the aircraft using the primary braking method, the pilot attempted to steer the aircraft off the paved surface to dissipate momentum. The aircraft departed the runway and began to climb a grade. As it reached the crest of the hill, the right wing struck a pine tree, resulting in damage to that section of the airframe.
Following the collision, the pilot regained control and successfully taxied the damaged aircraft to a tie-down area for parking.