Commuters faced unexpected chaos in Golden Gate Park on Monday when a massive eucalyptus violently crashed onto Crossover Drive, slamming down onto four cars, and leaving drivers and passengers with minor injuries. According to SFist, the incident, which unfolded around 4:15 p.m., prompted significant delays and forced the closure of all lanes on 19th Avenue.

The San Francisco Fire Department rushed to aid those trapped, industriously working to quickly extricate 11 individuals from the wreckage. Per an update from the SFFD's official Twitter, two of the victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while luckily, no one needed to be transported to the hospital.

The downed tree's collision with the roadway and vehicles tangled traffic, especially aggravating for motorists aiming to connect from 19th Avenue to the Golden Gate Bridge during peak rush hours. SFist reported that the fire crews and emergency responders were on the scene, where minor injuries were able to be treated promptly—a small mercy amidst the disruption.

While authorities are yet to confirm when Crossover Drive will be cleared and safe for travel again, citizens have been encouraged to actively avoid the area in the interim. The SFFD’s initial tweet alerted the community of major traffic delays and urged drivers to consider alternate routes where possible.

Last January's rains have been suggested to potentially play a role in this event, as excessively wet ground weakened the root structures of numerous trees city-wide, leading to similar unfortunate incidents. With the rain season not showing any signs of relenting, this could be an omen of further arboreal disturbances San Franciscans must be wary of.