Large tree falls on 5 cars in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park; 19th Avenue reopened, 2 injured

SAN FRANCISCO —The San Francisco Fire Department said a large tree fell onto 19th Avenue in Golden Gate Park Monday afternoon, hitting five vehicles and closing the busy thoroughfare but miraculously not causing any major injuries.

According to officials at the scene, shortly before 4 p.m., San Francisco Fire dispatch received multiple calls reporting a downed tree that had fallen onto vehicles on 19th Avenue in Golden Gate Park.

Firefighters responded to the scene on 19th Avenue at Crossover Drive near MLK Drive and found a large eucalyptus tree that had hit a total of five vehicles, though initial reports were that four vehicles were struck and damaged by the tree. Four cars that were traveling in the southbound direction were hit and damaged by the tree and one vehicle traveling north on 19th Avenue was hit and damaged. 

Officials said 11 people inside the vehicles involved were safe. Out of the 11, two people were injured, but officials said their injuries were not life-threatening. Fire officials said there were some children in the vehicles.

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"It's slow motion coming down, and then as soon as that tree falls on you everything goes silent," said Sandy Yeung who was inside one of the cars crushed by the tree.

Yeung said she was enjoying the holiday off with her family, heading to the mall for some fun when a massive eucalyptus tree crashed on top of their car.

"It was back-to-back traffic and the next thing you know I could see, I was in the back passenger side and I could see the eucalyptus tree and the light post come crashing down on our car," said Yeung.

She said her first instinct was to check on her kids and her husband. Thankfully, everyone was OK, but the front of their car was crushed.

"Some gentleman from the car behind us rushed over and opened the car door and got us out. My daughter came after me and then my husband and my son had to climb from the front seat into the back seat to get out," said Yeung.      

San Francisco Fire Department public information officer Captain Jonathan Baxter said fire crews were at the scene within four minutes of the initial reports.

The fire department did not provide details on the seriousness of the two injuries, but Baxter noted that neither of the two people injured needed to be transported to an area hospital.

Fire crews used a search K-9 to make sure there were no pedestrians injured and trapped beneath the tree off of the roadway, Baxter said.

He also said that the falling tree could have been much more serious.

"I think it's important to note that these vehicles were in motion when this tree fell down. And had this tree fallen just a second later, we would be looking at a much worse scene behind us than what we are seeing right now," said Baxter.

KPIX also spoke with Sandy Yeung, a woman who was riding in the back passenger-side seat of a Tesla that was stuck under the tree after it fell.

She said that she and her family were traveling on southbound 19th Avenue headed to the Westfield Valley Mall when the incident happened.

"I could see the eucalyptus tree and the light post coming crashing down on our car because we have a glass ceiling. Luckily, nobody in my family was hurt," Yeung said.

When asked how terrifying the incident was, Yeung laughed nervously before saying, "I don't think there are words to describe it! It was slow motion coming down, and then as soon as the tree hits you, everything goes silent."

"We were very, very lucky," she added. "I think we had a guardian angel watching over us today."

Fire officials said the toppled tree briefly shut down all lanes of 19th Avenue, causing major traffic delays through the park. Crews with chainsaws were working to clear the smaller limbs from the tree so work could commence moving the larger portion off the eucalyptus off of vehicles and out of the roadway. 

All lanes of 19th Avenue were reopened around 9:40 p.m.

Kelsi Thorud contributed to this report.

In:
• Fallen Trees
• San Francisco