The Mysterious Union Square Tree Incident

Does anyone know anymore about the tree that fell in Union Square Park on Tuesday night? Apparently, a huge, rotting tree suddenly fell on a bunch of people around 7:30PM at the eastern part of the park around 15th Street. About 10 people were hit by the 30-foot felled part of the tree, and one person told the Daily News

We were sitting right under the tree laughing. Then we heard the tree cracking and next thing you know it came down. It hit me in my head, but I grabbed and covered my girl.

One woman was pinned by the tree, and passers-by weren't sure if the bleeding woman was unsconscious or dead - luckily, she was just unconscious, with a head trauma and maybe some broken bones. The DN notes that some of the impact of the tree might have been absorbed by metal railing, which was crushed. One reader walked by the site yesterday, but the tree had been cleared up already. No one knows what caused the fall, although many witness says the tree was completely rotted from within. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe says when he was in the park over the weekend, his casual observation was that the trees seemed fine, but Gothamist expects there to be a crack team of tree specialists inspecting the trees there.

The trees in city parks are maintained by the Parks Department's Forestry Division. Here's information on getting a tree planted into front of your house and how to become a Citizen Pruner.