Tree falls on woman, dog during walk in Wilmette

WILMETTE, Ill. (WLS) -- A Wilmette woman and her dog were struck by an old tree that fell on them while they were taking a walk, officials said.

The woman and her dog were walking when the 65-foot oak tree fell across the sidewalk and into the street near 5th Street and Greenleaf Avenue around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, officials said.

"I heard the lady screaming so I ran around and tried to help her out, I pulled the branch up but I couldn't pull it all the way up and the cops showed up immediately and we got her out," said Dale Melton, who was delivering a dishwasher a few houses away during the time of the incident.

"I walked around and got her dog and took the dog home, talked to her boys and got the neighbor who spent the morning with her boys so her husband could go to the hospital with her," said Diane Wojcik, a neighbor.

The woman was trapped by the tree, which is estimated to be between 100 and 125-years-old, but was able to escape, officials said. She was transported to a local hospital in good condition, and her dog was uninjured and is staying with a neighbor.

"Obviously the condition of the tree had a lot to do with it, we didn't have any higher winds than normal this morning, it appeared to be a light rain," said Lt. Robert Brill, Wilmette Fire Department. "However, the tree has been decaying for some time and apparently let go this morning."

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell when a tree may be rotting on the inside.

"There's no way of knowing unless thorough testing is done, if there's any tell-tale signs like dead branches or actual rotting of the bark, it's very difficult to tell," said Robert Milani, Chalet Nursery.

Public works crews were on the scene to clear the tree, officials said.