HOUSTON – A mother was killed when a tree fell on her during a backyard get-together in northeast Harris County.
It happened on Kenswick Drive near Stagewood Drive about 8 p.m. Sunday when a family gathered in the back yard. The eight people who were there said they heard something make a sound on the other side of their fence.
"They heard a loud popping noise, looked up. Observed a tree falling toward them. Started running away from it. The tree fell, struck a female, who unfortunately has died from her injuries," said Lt. Kenneth Key of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.
The woman was a 54-year-old mother. The tree also hit a 12-year-old girl. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The tree then hit their home. Deputies said it fell from a wooded area outside their fence.
Because of last year's drought, deputies said you should check the trees around your home.
"Keep an eye on your trees. There are a lot of dead trees. A lot that are going to be dying. You need to start worrying about how to get them down before an unfortunate accident like this happens again," said Key.