Update: Man Killed By Falling Tree In Central Park

[UPDATE BELOW]: A man was killed "after a tree fell on top of him" in Central Park near the corner of East 69th Street and Fifth Avenue, according to police scanner reports. The victim was found dead at some time before 3:35 pm, and police and emergency workers have been dispatched to the scene. Last year, a man suffered brain damage and spinal injuries after a large tree branch fell more than 30 feet and struck him near West Drive and 63rd Street in Central Park. He has filed suit against the city and the Central Park Conservancy for neglect. Last summer, a willow tree fell into the Pool in Central Park.

Update (4:34 pm): Police sources tell Gothamist that the victim, a 53-year-old male, was walking in the park near the corner of East Drive and 68th Street when he was struck by a falling branch. The Times reports the incident was first reported with a 911 call at around 3:26 pm alerting authorities of a man "sprawled on ground, in distress, with severe wounds to his head."

Meanwhile, police scanner reports indicate a "large tree fell onto a city bus and another auto" near the corner of East 71st Street and Fifth Avenue. The tree struck the vehicles at some time before 4:18 pm, and dispatches requested "equipment and saws" be "walked up to the scene." Following that incident, scanner reports indicate that Fifth Avenue "is shut down."

Update (4:48 pm): Police reports now indicate that the incident involving a tree falling on a city bus and another car on Fifth Avenue has become "a fatal accident." WCBS reports that tree branches struck a bus at the corner of 71st Street, and a car on 69th Street—though the station says there were no injuries. At 4:31 pm, the city's NotifyNYC alert system sent out the following message: "Street closures at 5th ave from East 60th to East 77th due to down trees. Expect delays in the area."

Update (5:22 pm): A witness described the scene to the Times: "It was obviously a direct hit to his head ... There was this big pool of blood spreading through the snow. It was horrifying." The Post reports the incident occurred on Literary Walk, a pedestrian mall lined on both sides by large trees. According to the Daily News, it remains unclear if anyone was injured when tree limbs fell on a bus and car on Fifth Avenue, though MyFoxNY says a single passenger was aboard the BxM3 bus at the time, and "[n]o one was seriously hurt."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Muessig in News on February 25, 2010 4:20 PM

Comments [rss]

sCapegOat

how can you have a tree fall and kill a person,another tree fall on a bus, advise people not to park on the street to avoid having your cat damaged by a tree or power line , and tell tell poeple not to go into the parks, BUT go to school in the morning...? I'm really not sure what route I can take avoiding trees and power lines? Please Mayor Bloomberg; do you have a sectet underground tunnel to help me get to school tomorrow following your advice to avoid trees and powerlines?

MEDICNYC

No, but he has an ABOVE ground tunnel for you to lose. Study up for that algebra test in first period, bitch. See you at 7am with the REST OF THE FUCKING CITY.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

arent you the fool that stated how EMT take an oath and that the 2 EMT dispatcher would be held accountable. d'uh. As I stated correctly, no criminal charges were filed against them and they are back on duty with pay.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Street was closed on 26th st and lots of firemen. This city will go down in a sec when an earthquake or hurricane hits us. We can't even last the snow. Go vegan and save the earth

MEDICNYC

Are all of your 500 comments in the last 30 days this fascinating and insightful?

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

LOL,it funny how I have the same deniers respond to me. Learn the facts, eating meat is the number cause of global warming. changing your lightbulb is useless.

whitecastlerock

Stop commenting here and save our sanity...

ridgeside

How dare you question felix, animals are his thing, so i think he knows what he's talking about. Everyone knows that cows cause all of global warming and that global warming caused the snow that caused that tree to fall. So its because of flesh eaters like you, that killed this man, by warming up the planet and caused all the snow and cold weather. I would bet that king bloomberg has a secret herd of cows in his back yard, to warm up the city and produce even more snow.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

stop commenting and maybe your ass will get smaller ...

Papercutninja

*speechless*

Spirit of 76

Why speechless? It makes sense in his mind. This wouldn't have happened if we just ate the trees before they started shedding branches, right? It's them or us.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

eat trees? where do I say to eat trees. but then again what do I expect from a nasty person like you that BUYS a cat from a breeder. Karma will get you. heartless selfish nasty ignorant person

Guest

shit, it's the lord of the rings, part 2.

Jon Claw

One doesn't simply walk into Central Park.

Jen S

Give them back the Ent wives!

kazubes

Just got a Notify NYC text that 5th ave is closed from 69th to 77th and 5th..must be some serious damage

MEDICNYC

Yeah because of precautionary cutting down of other branches--not because the tree that hit the gentleman was eight blocks long.

ides_of_march

Best be on the safe side and cut down every tree in the city.

Amanda Harletsch

how many people get killed by falling trees? One or two a year?

How many people get killed by hear disease by they own stupidity?

Perspective does not disappear with some snow... Maybe in NYC it does.

Amanda Harletsch

are you serious?!

You like to throw stuff that will antagonize just for the hell of it!

What type of mentality do you have to think killing all life except human is remotely smart?!

Have you even traveled to third world countries where the poorest of neighborhoods have only dust, concrete and bricks... The lowest human conditions are always accompanied by the lack of enviromental sustainability.

It is just unethical, ugly, and plain senseless.

But i guess putting those "ideas" out there helps to separate the progressive to the lovers of ill status quo and the advocates of cultural regression: very republican in deed.