Falling tree strikes car driving on Route 322

Meadville Tribune, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·1 min read

May 1—A tree fell and struck a vehicle traveling on Route 322 Tuesday but caused only minor damage and no injuries, authorities said.

"My understanding is that a tree came down and landed on a vehicle," said Assistant Chief Ryan Zook of West Mead 1 Volunteer Fire Company. "The vehicle was still drivable and the tree was removed."

A West Mead crew arrived at the scene on Route 322 between McHenry Street and Wilson Shute Road at 10:52 a.m. and departed at 11:13 after cutting up the tree and removing it from the roadway, according to Zook.

Zook estimated the tree's trunk was about 9 inches in diameter and said it looked to be dead or in very poor condition when it fell.

At first, the tree covered both lanes of travel, according to Zook. By the time a West Mead engine equipped with a chain saw arrived, one lane had been reopened thanks to a tree service crew that was in the area.

Zook described what happened as a "relatively minor incident" but acknowledged its unlikely nature.

"It is an odd coincidence. It is rare," he said of a tree falling onto a moving vehicle. "Typically, the tree comes down and a vehicle runs into it. This appearently had enough synchronicity to happen just at the right time."

West Mead Township Police Department also responded to the scene.