A Weeki Wachee woman was killed when a large, rotted tree fell and crashed onto the roof of her mobile home on the 1000 block of Tooke Lake Boulevard.
Personnel from Hernando County Fire Rescue (HCFR) arrived at the scene the morning of July 10 and discovered that the tree had fallen and crashed into the center of the mobile home, trapping a 58-year-old woman inside.
Because both the tree and the home’s structure were unstable, crews had difficulty reaching the woman. Once they did, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nick Brandt, public relations officer for the HCFR, said that what caused the tree to fall is uncertain but that no foul play is suspected.
“The cause of the incident is suspected to be natural causes – no storms occurred during the time leading up to the incident; winds were a little stronger than normal everyday winds (but) the tree appeared to have rot and age-related weaknesses,” he said. “The damage to the structure was extensive.”
The incident remains under investigation by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCO) and the Medical Examiner’s Office.