Person killed after large tree falls onto several cars in Winnetka
WINNETKA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One person was killed after a massive tree toppled onto two cars in Winnetka Friday.
The fatal incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. on North Mason Avenue near Sherman Way.
Neighbors were shocked by the horrific scene.
"I just couldn't believe what I was seeing," said Stan Holloway.
"It's really tragic, I mean, it can happen to anyone," Maudi Cameron added.
Video from AIR7 showed the large tree on top of a white car and across lanes as first responders worked to recover the body from the driver's seat.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the driver was heading north on Mason Avenue when the decades-old, 20-foot tree uprooted and came down.
"The tree decided to give out, smashed the driver while he was inside the vehicle," said LAPD Officer Emanuel Barbu.
When LAFD and LAPD arrived, the force and weight of the tree left them with only one option to recover the driver - cut their way in.
"They had to pry the doors open, cut the tree in half, cut branches and do everything they could to get inside of the vehicle," said Barbu.
A second car was hit, but no one inside that vehicle was hurt. Meanwhile, neighbors say the sound of the collapse was so sudden, they didn't realize what had happened.
"This one was just instantaneous. It hit and it was like, OK, something devastating happened," said Holloway, who lives just a few feet away from the wreck and was one of the first people to walk up to the crushed SUV. "You never think it would happen to you or in your neighborhood."
Cameron said she's noticed the tree's roots pushing through the sidewalk for years. She now questions whether there were warning signs long before Friday afternoon.
"I feel like it was ready to come down anyway because the roots were already popping up through the cement," she said. "I think with the rain and the wind, it was just time for it to go."
The identity of the victim was not immediately released, and no further information was available.
