News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
A work crew cut up and removed a fallen tree in Sisters.
A 31-inch diameter ponderosa pine tree broke in a heavy gust of wind shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, falling all the way across Hood Avenue and crushing the cab of an old Chevrolet truck.
The tree was one of a pair that grew in front of Bedouin on the south side of Hood Avenue. It appeared to have rotted due to beetle infestation. When the tree fell, it stretched across the roadway to the truck across the street and also grazed the RE/MAX Town & Country Realty building.
No one was injured and there appeared to be little damage except to the truck.
Pricilla and Scott Smith of Sisters narrowly missed being hit by the falling behemoth.
The couple were heading westbound on Hood Avenue in their 2002 Toyota Sienna and had not yet reached the Elm Street intersection when Pricilla said they "heard this huge mammoth crash."
She said she could see "People on all corners holding their hands up to their heads" in shock and surprise.
The Scotts know they made a narrow escape.
"It just fell right behind us," Pricilla said. "About two seconds (difference) and we might have been in a lot different shape today. It wasn't our time."
City workers assisted by contractor Gerry Tewalt and an assistant cut the tree into sections and hauled the trunk out of the roadway with a backhoe.
The adjacent tree - which also was heavily stressed - was cut down on Saturday morning.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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