Dayton woman airlifted after tree falls on vehicle

A 51-year-old Dayton woman was airlifted to a Houston-area trauma center Tuesday morning after a tree fell onto her vehicle as she was driving along FM 1008 near Kenefick.

Authorities say the woman was driving along FM 1008 around one mile from CR 2324 around 9:50 a.m. when a large tree fell onto the passenger side of her 2009 Chrysler Aspen SUV, bringing her vehicle to an abrupt stop.

The woman’s cheek was injured by a tree branch, prompting her to be flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital as a precautionary measure. She was in stable condition immediately following the crash, according to investigating Trooper Chris Richmond.

While trees are more prone to being uprooted after major rains like the area has experienced this winter, the felling of this tree was an act of God.

“The tree was not uprooted. It was split about 4-5 feet from the ground. It might have previously been struck by lightning or damaged, and that weakened the tree,” Richmond said.