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Driver Killed When Tree Falls on Moving Car
Large oak topples on Georgetown Pike, killing man in Mercedes.
Fairfax County Police said a 64-year-old man was killed Tuesday when a large tree fell into the road on Georgetown Pike in Great Falls, crushing him in his car.
Albert Carl Roeth III was driving his 2008 Mercedes CL600 southbound on Georgetown Pike shortly after 6:30 p.m. As he was passing through the 9900 block of Georgetown Pike, a very large tree unexpectedly fell from the right side of the roadway directly onto the Mercedes.
The tree crushed the driver compartment of the car killing Roeth. He was the sole occupant of the car and there were no other vehicles involved.
Alcohol and speed were not factors in this incident.
Police shut down Georgetown Pike overnight as crews removed the tree and investigated the strength of roots on another nearby tree.
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Kristen
10:46 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
So horrible - my heart goes out to the man's family, such an unfortunate case of wrong place/wrong time
Chipperson
6:50 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Which oak tree was it? The one in front of the Exxon has been in decline over the years.
Reston Mom
7:42 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Also still trying to figure out exactly where that tree was. Which corner was it -- the NE, NW, SE, or SW corner of the intersection? I drive by that corner 4x/day between Sept-June with kids in my van...that so easily could have been any number of us parents (or heaven forbid a school bus!) ferrying kids to+from Great Falls ES. Scary.