The economic crisis is hitting us all hard, but we thought there were still some professions that were essentially recession-proof, such as sanitation workers, foreclosure agents, and robbers. But it seems that now even robbers are feeling the credit rating downgrade heat: a would-be robber has been accused of beating a 7-Eleven clerk in Long Island with a tree branch after his stick-up was unsuccessful. more ›

Yesterday's blustery day, with winds up to 43 mph, was dangerous: The Daily News reports, "Fierce winds ripped a 20-foot-long branch from a tree in Brooklyn...sending it plunging to the ground where it struck and critically injured a young woman. The victim, who just stepped out of her car after a minor fender-bender, was hit in the head by the branch, sending her toppling to the Midwood street." A witness said, "It struck her in the head. The wind was like a tornado. There was a lot of blood [and] I called an ambulance. She was knocked unconscious for five minutes." The victim regained consciousness by the time she reached Lutheran Medical Center and is in stable condition. more ›

Ending his alleged months- long reign of terror, a man was arrested for breaking tree branches in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn. According to the NY Times, "On Wednesday afternoon, the man, identified by the authorities as Steve Maynard, 35, was arrested in Prospect Park by the Park Enforcement Patrol and taken to the 78th Precinct in Brooklyn. He was charged with criminal mischief, specifically arborcide, the vandalism of public trees. The violation could result in up to $15,000 in fines and up to a year in jail." more ›

After a baby was killed by a fallen tree branch near the Central Park Zoo on Saturday and her mother was seriously injured, the baby's father is readying a lawsuit against the city and other agencies. According to the NY Post, "Michael Ricciutti's lawyer filed papers in Manhattan Supreme Court seeking a court order demanding the city preserve all the evidence of Saturday's tragedy, including the branch that killed 6-month-old Gianna." more ›

Just after 12:30 p.m., there were reports of a tree branch falling in Central Park, injuring three people, near 74th Street and the East Drive (which is also near the Boathouse). Philip Bump tells us that the victims appeared to be a family picnicking and that he "only saw one woman underneath, quickly had dozens of people around her. She didn't seem to be moving - in ambulance now." more ›

The 46-year-old pedestrian who was struck and killed by a 100-pound tree branch in Central Park emigrated ten years ago from Albania and is survived by a wife and two kids. Relatives and police think Elmaz Qyra was just getting off his shift working behind the bar at the New York Athletic Club when he became the victim of the “freak accident.” "It was his dream to come to America and buy a home and provide a better life for his family," said his supervisor Cesar Zuzunaga. "He was always talking about his family and he was family to us here." more ›

The 33-year-old man who was struck by a falling tree branch in Central Park appears to be recovering: Sasha Blair-Goldensohn's mother Gwenda Blair told CityRoom, "He finally started responding when they said, ‘Raise your hand and open your eye.'" She also said to the Daily News, "He's slowly improving. We think that he's going to be okay." more ›

With his family keeping vigil at the hospital, 33-year-old man remains in a coma after being struck by a tree branch in Central Park yesterday morning. An uncle of Sasha Blair-Goldensohn, an Upper West Side resident and an engineer at Google, told the Daily News, "I'm not worried about Sasha because he has IQ to spare... He hasn't really woken up. He's young and healthy, we're hopeful." more ›