The Brief
A tree fell on a woman and her car in Lakewood, leaving her with a severe spinal cord injury.
The driver has been identified as Maisie Evans, a 32-year-old mother of a 6-month-old baby.
The owner of the property where the tree was located is a chairman of the Texas Trees Foundation, who said he believes the tree fell due to many acorns caused by spring rain.
DALLAS - The woman hit by a fallen tree in Lakewood suffered a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed. The owner of the property that the tree fell from spoke to FOX 4 over the phone.
This morning, the homeowner asked about the driver's injuries. When he was told about the severity, he said he had no idea, and that he felt terrible.
Local perspective
Dan Flick was one of the first to pull up to this scene of a huge tree crushing a Porsche SUV.
"She didn't act in pain, but you know she had to be," said Flick.
"There were electric wires sparking as we moved over here. About that time, the connector exploded; flames and shrapnel."
What we know
The driver, 32-year-old Maisie Evans, according to a GoFundMe set up for her medical expenses. She sustained a severe spinal cord injury and is now in the neuro ICU.
"Maisie is the devoted mother of a 6-month-old baby girl. This accident has not only turned her world upside down but also created an unimaginable challenge for her family. The road ahead will be long and uncertain."
On Wednesday, the cut-up chinquapin oak remained on the sidewalk outside the home where it fell on Wendover Road and Sperry Street in Lakewood.
It is now easy to see that the base of the tree was hollow, and some branches also show decay on the inside.
The owner of the home, Dan Patterson, returned a phone message, asking about Evans’ injuries.
After he was told that the driver was paralyzed from the neck down, he said he felt terrible and was not aware of that.
Patterson has a lot of trees on his property, and that's no coincidence.
He is the chairman of the Texas Trees Foundation, and past chairman of the National Tree trust in D.C, and National Arbor Day Foundation in Nebraska.
What they're saying
He said he has a ground crew that maintains his trees regularly.
"From my perspective, HE TOLD ME, these things happen. I don't know there is any way to avoid random acts like this. The tree was in no way compromised. As a tree guy, I can tell you what I believe happened. When you have a lot of rain in the spring, you have an oak tree or pecan tree or any tree with nuts, it grows a lot of nuts, and they swell up, and it adds a lot of weight to the upper regions of the tree. That was probably the culprit that caused the problem."
We reached out to certified arborist Steve Houser about what, if anything, people can do to prevent something like this.
"If your trees are medium to large in size, 15, 20 inches and larger. We like to be out at least on an annual basis," said Houser.
Houser says while you can reduce the potential for sudden failure, you can't eliminate it.
"I wish we could say that we can prevent this from ever happening again."
What's next
Flick hopes the community comes out to support Maisie.
"She's going to need help the rest of her life, her husband and baby," he said.
The online fundraiser for Maise says that her survival is truly a miracle.
They are preparing for mobility equipment, rehabilitation, and stability for her baby.
The Source
Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's Lori Brown. Additional information was provided by Maisie's GoFundMe.
Comments