A large, mature tree uprooted on West Kingsbridge Road Thursday morning, crushing one parked car and then slamming into a vehicle carrying an 80-year-old man and his son. Both men were taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening, while the collapse left Kingsbridge Heights neighbors worried about the other towering trees lining the block.
According to News 12, the tree first landed on a parked vehicle before falling onto the moving car as it traveled up the street. FDNY crews cut the trunk into sections and removed it from the damaged vehicles as cleanup continued.
Junior Talvaraz said his brother and father were inside the moving car when the tree came down. He described the impact as happening with “incredible force,” and said he did not know how they survived.
Witnesses told News 12 that they heard a loud boom before seeing the tree fall. Neighbors speculated that recent rainfall may have softened the soil around the roots, but the cause had not been confirmed Thursday afternoon.
Rain Was Mentioned, But The Cause Remains Unclear
One neighbor called the scene dangerous and scary, while a worker said he had never witnessed anything similar during 30 years working along the block. The collapse also raised a practical question for residents: whether other mature trees nearby need closer inspection before the next storm or stretch of heavy rain.
What The City Says About Street Tree Hazards
For New York City street trees, NYC311 says Parks conducts routine pruning across community boards. Residents can request attention for trees with dead or damaged branches, those blocking streets or sidewalks, causing property damage, or touching power and phone lines.
The city’s tree map lists 3,127 trees in the broader Spuyten Duyvil-Kingsbridge area and shows recent care activity as recently as July 14, according to NYC Parks. That does not establish whether the West Kingsbridge Road tree had been flagged or inspected, but it shows how much urban canopy surrounds the neighborhood—and how quickly one failed tree can become a serious street hazard.
The Bronx has seen another recent tree scare: earlier this month, residents at NYCHA’s Clason Point Gardens said a storm-toppled tree came down near a child and left debris behind. That incident, covered by Hoodline, adds context to the concerns now being voiced in Kingsbridge Heights.
