A calm day, a crack of fate - great oak suddenly splits

St. Petersburg Times ^ | July 19, 2005 | EMILY VASQUEZ

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Are trees more dangerous than SUVs?

Falling tree kills man as he sleeps***.....But Ed Timmons died — on the morning of his 36th birthday. It took tree cutters seven hours, using a crane to remove large segments of the massive poplar, its trunk 40 inches across, before his body could be retrieved.

The tree had fallen across the back yard — over a swing set and bright yellow slide — before smashing across the roof and into the front yard. Other trees in the back yard had also fallen, but in different directions.....***

[spinestein]

[The oak at the water's edge was splitting. Booth's children scampered out of the way, but one of the huge falling limbs pinned their mother to bench where she sat.]



Then the Lorax popped out of the trunk and simply said, "It's Bush's fault."

[fivekid]

Maybe.... I had one oak smash my truck another smash our

dock, one smashed our deck, and still one more smashed our

roof in. All separate incidences... Din't see a SUV in

sight. Those oaks whooped our stuff but good..

[DB]

What a lousy way to go.

Kiss your family every day.

You never know when the last day might be.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Unrelated googled image

It looks like oak trees don't need a lot to sustain growth.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.........You never know when the last day might be.

Indeed!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

If there are any left, cut them down!

[spinestein]

Here's a similar one:

Nanette Meech, 76, of Sante Fe, was canoeing down the Brule River in Winsconsin with her daughter Laurie on 15 July, when a 40ft poplar tree, about 18in diameter, that had been gnawed by a beaver, crashed down on her head with fatal consequences. Denver Post - 17 July 1993


I used to work for this woman who went by the nickname "Nucy" (short for nuisance). Ironically, I worked for her by cutting down nuisance trees on her property.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The beaver are in cahoots with the trees.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Google: 1,120,000 for tree kills

An example:

Falling Tree Kills 2 In Moving SUV

POSTED: 9:42 pm PDT May 22, 2005 UPDATED: 10:02 am PDT May 23, 2005

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- A Bellingham couple and the family dog died when a 70-to-80-foot tree fell on and crushed their SUV as they drove southbound on Lake Whatcom Boulevard Sunday in Bellingham.

Oliver G. Larson, 69, his wife, Mary I. Scott-Larson, 45, and their dog died at the scene, Washington State Patrol troopers said.

Witnesses driving behind the SUV and on the opposite side of the road saw the tree snap, fall across Lake Whatcom Boulevard and land on the couple's 1998 white Ford Explorer XLT about 12:15 p.m.

Firefighters cut the tree to remove it from the SUV and used the "jaws of life" to pry the roof of the Explorer open, said Trooper Jim Van Diest. The investigation is continuing, but Van Diest said strong winds may have been a factor.

The National Weather Service said wind gusts were recorded at 20 to 25 miles per hour between noon and 1 p.m. in the Bellingham area Sunday.***

[spinestein]

Haven't enough people died?!

It's time the government did something to protect us from these dangerous trees!

We need to ban them and cut them all down BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!

[fivekid]

We have way to many to count. We have had I don't even know how many companies come out for estimates. It is always the same answer we cant do it. So then we had one of those dozer thingys come in and at least try to knock down the ones that were leaning. Now they are just leaning littler more..... The main problem is is that our trees are huge, and when the ground gets soaked they just go. Also oaks do not do well in high winds, they just snap.

Sheesh, did not mean to write a book...:)

[fivekid]

Hey!! I used spell check........

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I think trees have been getting a free ride.

Look at all the fire damage they've caused.

[Flyer]

Ironically, I worked for her by cutting down nuisance trees on her property.

Man, that story has karma or revenge or something written all over it.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Damn beaver!.....

[ken5050]

Ban acorns

[backhoe]

Somehow, it's Boosh's fault.

Seriously, my wife's long association with churches & the synagogue in town gave her access to their records, and it's amazing how many people get killed "by misadventure"-- falls, trees, drowning in 3 inches of water-- just about any way you can imagine to get killed has happened, repeatedly.

[fivekid]

Yes they are EEEvil!

Burn them!!! BURN them ALL!!!! :)

Who do we call to do that? LOL!!!

Can't call Bush cause it's all his fault:)

Do We have a sectary's of trees?

What to do what to do........

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Do you think the Society of Environmental Journalists will raise the alarm?

People and their property are important too!