Two people hospitalized after falling tree hits car on GW Parkway
Part of a large tree next to the George Washington Memorial Parkway fell into the roadway yesterday afternoon, landing on a car and seriously injuring two people.
The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the parkway, just past Belle View Boulevard (see map). According to a witness, a large section of the tree appeared to have “sheared off” from the other part of the tree, landing directly on the roadway and the passing vehicle.
The driver and one passenger in the car were transported to the hospital by Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department first responders, according to a fire department spokeswoman. No other passengers were in the car, and no other vehicles were struck by the tree.
The spokeswoman did not have information about the severity of either person’s injuries.
The tree section was large enough to stretch across both southbound lanes and the median area and partway into the northbound lanes. Both southbound lanes of the parkway remained closed until after 7 p.m. to allow for the tree to be cut up and removed.
The roadway closing marked the second time that part of the GW Parkway was shut down Tuesday. Heavy afternoon rains flooded a section of the road earlier in the afternoon near Reagan National Airport, closing the parkway in both directions for a time and stranding motorists who needed to be rescued by first responders.
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