Photo via NYPD.
An Elm tree fell in Central Park near 62nd Street around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, injuring four people, including three children, according to NYPD. A woman was pinned underneath the tree, and samaritans helped lift the tree until emergency workers could get her out.
The victims were taken to Cornell Hospital. The injuries were considered non-life-threatening, according to a parks department spokesman. A Parks Department crew was working on investigating and removing the tree, and checking on nearby trees to determine if they are healthy. The Central Park Conservancy maintains the trees in the park, but did not respond to a request for comment on the condition of the tree.
Update: The Times reports that the woman was the mother of the three children, which included a baby who was less than a year old.
“The woman who was injured had three children with her, a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old in a stroller, and an infant strapped to her, said Officer Meghan O’Leary at a news conference. Officer O’Leary said when she had arrived at the scene, passers-by had pulled the baby off the woman and the other children out of the stroller.”
https://twitter.com/erinade/status/897463635152441344
West Drive at 62nd Steet is closed to vehicles, pedestrians & bicycles due to a fallen tree. Please find alternate routes. @CentralParkNYC pic.twitter.com/BIiNigEQUs
— NYPD Central Park (@NYPDCentralPark) August 15, 2017
Holy cow. Out for my run-walk in Central Park and this giant tree just fell down on the road I was running 20 mins ago… pic.twitter.com/nQ7lkRMHmA
— . (@linorulli) August 15, 2017
Prelim info: FDNY is taking 4 patients to the hospital. 1 critical. Others possibly serious. https://t.co/jcqMuQ7puf
— Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) August 15, 2017
This is a breaking story and we will have further updates.
As a patron and frequent user of the park for over 50 years , , , ever since the Central Park Conservatory took over the operations at Central Park – the park has been poorly maintained. Not enough tree/branch inspections, they allow dogs on Great Lawn, poor rule enforcement, etc.
Department of Parks and Recreation did a much better job when they maintained the park.
Speedy recovery to those injured!
Dogs are NOT allowed on The Great Lawn. I have a dog and regularly walk on the path around the the lawn. The only time I’ve seen dogs our there is when they take the fences down to prepare for special events.
Wow, what a ridiculous observation. The Conservancy saved Central Park by all measures. Wait, Donald? Is that you?
You are so misinformed. The conservancy is constantly monitoring all park landscapes, including trees. If you are so dissatisfied get off your high horse and donate your time and/or money. I do both so I speak from experience.
Huh? Central Park was falling into massive disrepair before the Conservancy took over. Your beloved Great Lawn was a veritable dustbowl in the late 70s under Parks and Rec. The Conservancy wasn’t given control of the park because things were going well.
I pass this tree with my family a few times a week, so this is pretty scary. Superficially, the tree looked to be alive and well. Perhaps the lack of integrity of this tree’s root structure could have been spotted; perhaps not. I’m not an arborist. Unless we know the answer to that question, it’s hard to opine on whether the Conservancy is at fault, or this was a very unfortunate “act of God”.
Oy.
The Consrvancy came into being in 1980 when the park was covered with graffiti, lawns were dirt and the place was full of broken benches and lampposts. Because the city wouldn’t fund Parks and Rec to do their jobs. 30 years later, the park is almost too well-manicured. Dogs are never allowed on the Grest Lawn or Sheep meadow and if they were, it’s because entitled dog owners snuck them inside the fence. As for trees, the CPC has an entire team plus contracted arborists working in the park and there are plenty of times I hear chainsaws cutting off limbs. This incident is sad and perhaps we’ll hear from them why it happened soon.
Rule enforcement is impossible because CPC employees have no ability to enforce them. Only park police can do that and they’re hardly inside the park. When they are there, they can’t be bothered to leave their vehicles to enforce anything. I used to work for the CPC and I have first hand experience with this and it’s one reason why I quit. My neighbors were the worst offenders in breaking the rules. And the pedicab guys.
The CPC has had its problems and is going through some turmoil right now but to claim that the park is poorly maintained is a huge leap.
Steve, CPC came into existence in the early 80’s, but as Beth can confirm, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Managed Central Park for most of its existence (rule enforcement, restored the great lawn in the late 90’s, and was pretty much responsible for the day to day operations, with input from the growing CPC). About 7-10 years ago (Beth can probably tell us more) there was a big political shake-up behind the scenes (A. Benepe left DPR) and COC was put in charge.
Beth you are correct, CPC is useless when it comes to enforcement, as they have no jurisdiction in that area. Some of the guys I grew up in the UWS work there as part of their work release program. When I talk to them about the issues affecting the great lawn, they give me that look – nothing we can do. I trust the same sentiment carries over on tree inspection , , , until someone gets hurt.
The Conservancy is taking credit for the restoration of the Great Lawn.
“In 1997, Central Park Conservancy completed a major two-year restoration of the Great Lawn to its original splendor.”
https://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/great-lawn.html
Anecdotal, but a friend recently brought his small dog onto Sheep’s Meadow and was asked to leave, so at least some level of enforcement exists.
You’ve got to be kidding.
https://www.businessinsider.com/what-central-park-looked-like-in-the-1980s-2015-1?op=1/#eat-lawn-present-day-44
That tree does look extremely healthy, as you can see from the healthy growth and new leaves. Maybe all the rain has weakened the soil or maybe it was an act of vandalism that caused it to fall. Everyone should chill until we get an answer.
Miriam, I think you’re right about the rain. The problem with the park area in general is that the bedrock is somclose to the surface everywhere, roots have to grow horizontally instead of vertically (this is why the elm islands at the Mall are fenced off, to protect the roots from compaction by overuse).
In this situation, one side of the tree is the drive and the other is a path. Not a lot of real estate for the roots to spread. With all of the rain, maybe the soil became so soft, the stability was gone? This was a big old tree. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more trees removed from this area.
As for tree care in general, the park area is 843 acres, a good percentage of it planted with trees. I think the CPC really does it’s best to keep them safe for pedestrians. I am surprised that this happened, though, since it was next to such a highly used area.
Isn’t it DeBlasio’s fault?
This could be a good opportunity for DeBlasio to raise taxes on the top 5%. He might even be able to it in between napping and working out – on the ride to or from the gym in his SUV.
Central Park Conservancy is beyond amazing. Trees fall, it happens, it happened a year ago in Bryant Park. To try and blame the Conservancy that have made Central Park back into the pristine oasis it is, is absurd.
Agreed. That comment by AC is simply absurd. No if’s, and’s or butts.
News article has CPC on the hook for this mishap.
https://nypost.com/2017/08/15/central-park-workers-under-fire-after-horrific-tree-incidents/
Actually, no. The Post article notes the settlement of a case about a tree falling in 2009, seven years ago.
While it mentions that “a massive elm crashed down” on Tuesday, and the reporter calculated that the “tree was about 40 yards from where” the 2009 incident took place (“according to published reports”), the article says absolutely nothing that could even be interpreted (by those who like to interpret the New York Post) as saying that the Central Park Conservancy is “on the hook” for the recent fall.
If you don’t think the CPC will be found at fault, you’re in for a surprise. If you’re familiar with that tree, the exposed roots and cracked sidewalk were telltale signs that warranted further inspection. Check back in seven years.
https://nypost.com/2017/08/15/central-park-workers-under-fire-after-horrific-tree-incidents/?utm_campaign=iosapp&utm_source=message_app
There hasbeen maintenance construction going on just above that general vicinity. Would be interesting to hear if that disruption might have been a contributing factor.
I agree that the CPC has done a terrific job over all. But my observation over the past 20 years has been the people working at the CPC are increasingly rude and dangerous. Throwing adolescent profanities around children and visitors to the park, driving their carts with no attention or care for those on the walking pathways. The park is indeed beautiful, but the management oversight of the workers is severely lacking.
Leave us be clear about something; the CPC is not nor has ever been “on the hook” totally for injuries caused by falling trees or libs in CP.
While a public/private partnership exists between NYC and CPC, CP is still NYC property, as such the city remains liable for what occurs.
Yes, persons injured or whatever in CP will name CPC in their lawsuits as co-defendants. But just as with say suing a property owner over a sidewalk fall, the big prize is NYC.
Indeed as any attorney will tell you when possible the city is *always* named in these sort of lawsuits. Where it can city will try to get itself out of things by claiming (if possible) they have no liability exposure. But otherwise things go forward.
Reasons for this are simple; the city had the deepest pockets, technically unlimited since they can raise funds via taxes to pay any award. Also and most importantly because of a bizarre quirk in New York laws the city can be held to pay 100% of liability damage awards if other parties cannot or will not. This means even if a court verdict assigned the city say 10% at fault, and the property owner 90%; if the former does not or will not pay plaintiffs can go after city for that major share.
Beginning with the Bloomberg administration, and continued since the city now moves to actively settle lawsuits and or work via mediation. This instead of going to trial and risking court awarded damaged.
In some instances where persons have been injured by falling trees/limbs in city parks settlements were reached. There NYC and the and the various contracted private tree service split damage awards.
https://nypost.com/2013/06/02/victims-of-falling-tree-limbs-in-central-park-get-big-settlements/
https://observer.com/2013/06/city-settles-with-google-engineer-hit-by-falling-tree-in-central-park-for-11-5m/
I walk to work, which takes me through the park daily. It’s a long walk, but I enjoy it as the park is beautiful, interesting, stimulating and one of the most special parts of NYC. Without question, Central Park enhances the quality of my life.
I have regularly noticed the CPC workers in the park. Today, I decided to pay particular attention to them. Why do they all seem so miserable? My job is stressful and I have a tremendous amount of responsibility that directly impacts lives. If I could spend my days, on a day like today, outside (73 degrees and sunny), caring for something of such beauty, I can’t imagine that I wouldn’t be smiling, Saying hello to visitors, indeed grateful for such an opportunity.
Now, I don’t know what the salaries are and I realize everyone has life stress, life problems, life stories… But unhappy workers are generally less productive, experience increased rates of work injury, and miss things that they otherwise need to be attending to (e.g. tress that might be problematic).
Something is just not right in the organization and I don’t believe it’s necessarily the people I see in the park. More likly, it’s the people I don’t see in the back office.
Speaking of which, lets talk about the MTA…
Maybe recent internal events have something to do with the dour attitude of workers you’ve seen:
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/central-park-conservancy-lays-8-staff-trim-spending-article-1.3196268
Well, a quick search of the CPC’s publicly available 2015 tax forms (which I have just looked at) would suggest that the problems must be entirely at the management level. What has been seen can no longer be unseen. I love the park, but what I saw was disgusting.