ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WSVN) — A woman is lucky to be alive after she was toppled by a tree branch in front of her Florida home, leaving her trapped and pinned to the ground. Now tree experts are offering words of warning to prevent a possible tragedy.
Oak trees may seem like an innocent accessory to a property, but experts say that if they are not properly cared for, they can quickly turn into a safety hazard.
“Trees are like the last thing people worry about when it comes to their homes, but it’s one of the most important things,” said licensed arborist Kelly Stafford.
Stafford believes that may have been the case for a laurel oak in St. Petersburg, Saturday morning.
“It’s definitely an older tree. It’s 60 years old or older. The laurel oaks, 60 to 70 years, they do start to have some failures,” she said.
Police said a woman heard a branch fall and hit two homes. When she came outside to see, a second, even larger branch fell on her, pinning her to the sidewalk.
“Once that first failure happens, that tree at that point is extremely hazardous,” said Stafford.
Licensed tree trimmer Kayode Reid said the break likely stemmed from rotting that turned into a cavity in the laurel oak.
“A cavity is a wound, like, if a limb had broken off, or a tree company had made a bad cut a while back, it wouldn’t be able to heal itself,” said Reid.
That’s why they both Stafford and Reid recommend hiring a licensed arborist or tree service to take stock of the trees on a property every two years.
“Make sure the person that you have looking at them is qualified — making sure that they’re not only licensed but insured, and they carry workers comp on their guys,” said Stafford.
The woman who was hit by the branch was taken to the hospital with injuries to her leg that were not life-threatening. She is currently recovering.
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