Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Central Park: 59-Year-Old Tourist Hurt By Falling Tree Branch

061113treefall.jpg
A 59-year-old woman lays on the ground this afternoon in Central Park after being struck by a tree limb (left) on her head.  She suffered a broken arm chipped teeth as a result from falling. 

A dog walker was also struck by a tree limb today in Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan earlier today witnesses said.  (Photo: Courtesy @charleylhasa via Gothamist)

Manhattan


By Geoffrey Croft


A 59-year-old tourist  from Terre Haute Indiana was hit by falling tree branch in Central Park this afternoon, the second person to be struck in the park by a tree limb in less than a week.


Sharon Reese was walking with her husband when a 3 inch in diameter branch from an Oak tree suddenly snapped and fell three stories hitting her in the head city sources said. 

She was transported to St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital. 




















The damaged Oak tree. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge



The incident occurred  inside the park on an asphalt path about 50 yards from a park entrance at West 86th Street and Central Park West just after 3:30pm.

The woman temporarily lost consciousness and initially could not remember what had happened to her according to  city sources. 

"It's scary," said jogger Penelope Clark who saw the victim shortly after the incident. 

"I saw a woman lying on the ground. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, a giant branch on the ground.  She had blood on her head." 

Central Park Conservancy workers quickly loaded the broken limb into the back of a pick-up truck and carted it away. 

Ms. Reese was listed in stable condition this evening. 

On June 3, a 46-year-old man was struck by a tree limb on 96th and Central Park West at 7:00am.

It was revealed last week that the City and the Central Park Conservancy settled two high profile tree injury cases for a total  $ 14.5 million dollars.   


By late afternoon, caution tape and barricades surrounded the tree.


Read/View More: 


CBS - June 11, 2013  - By Derricke Dennis



New York Post -  June 12, 2013 - By Erin Calabrese and Jamie Schram 

NY1 - June 12, 2013 

gothamist - June 12, 2013 -  By John Del Signore  


WABC - June 11, 2013 -   By Jeff Pegues 

WNBC - June 11, 2012 - By Gus Rosendale  

New York Times - June 11, 2013 - By Joseph Goldstein and Randy Leonard

WPIX - June 11, 2013 - By Nicole Johnson   

Fox 5 -  June 11, 2013 - By Stacey Delikat


Am-New York - June 11 - By Tim Herrera  


WCBS - June 11, 2013 -  By Derricke Dennis 

The Wall Street Journal - June 11, 2013  

Falling Tree Branch Injures Woman In Central Park
gothamist -  June 11, 2013 - By John Del Signore






1 comment:

  1. You know, I would love to see statistics comparing the number of injuries from falling trees and branches in recent years to the past. I would suspect they have vastly increased. In the not-so-distant past, I never heard of such injuries let alone deaths that now seem commonplace. Sure, storms are getting stronger but trees and branches are falling even when it's not particularly windy, and all too often they look rotten inside.

    If you want to protect trees AND people, you should check out: http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2013/01/29/whispers-from-the-ghosting-trees/

    ReplyDelete