A tragic event occurred on the streets of West Whiteland Township, Chester County, where a 30-year-old woman was killed and a young child injured after part of a tree fell on their SUV. As reported by NBC Philadelphia, the incident took place just before 10:00 A.M. on Thursday.
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was driving a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban on South Ship Road when a piece of a tree, likely spurred by high winds, fell onto the vehicle's roof. According to 6abc, Det. Sgt. Jeffrey McCloskey of West Whiteland Twp. Police expressed relief that no other vehicles were involved, saying, "Thank God there were no other vehicles coming." The SUV continued briefly before halting in the northbound lanes.
The emergency response to the accident involved multiple local services, as detailed in a CBS News Philadelphia report. The West Whiteland Township Police Department, West Whiteland Township Station 6 Fire Department, and Uwchlan Ambulance Corps all responded swiftly to the scene. After the event, the child was promptly taken to Paoli Memorial Hospital for treatment and later released to a family member.
Ship Road, a location of the event, has been recognized by residents as problematic due to its dense tree-lined thoroughfare. "The problem with Ship Road is we have a lot of trees going up and down the street, and they're constantly falling. The tree limbs are coming down, it's awful," a local resident, Emily Bird, told 6abc. In instances of dangerous tree conditions, police have a process of contacting the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) or homeowners to address the issues.
While the road where the incident took place was closed for investigation, it has since been reopened. The West Whiteland Township Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division continues to investigate this accident, and they have issued an advisory that anyone with information should submit a tip through the department's website. A wind advisory remains in effect for most of the Philadelphia region until late Thursday, cautioning residents against high winds which have been recorded between 40 to 50 mph.
