ROTTING TREES FALL, DAMAGE VEHICLES

Emily Mosier

Three vehicles were damaged after rotted trees fell on them on Tuesday in the right-side parking lot of Wallace Hall.

At around 12:45p.m., Troy campus police were notified that a tree had fallen. Police arrived minutes afterwards to assess the situation and notify the car owners.

“I was in the middle of teaching class, and I had received multiple calls, but I didn't end class because I was still teaching,” said Morgan Drinkard, a professor with the Hall School of Journalism and Communication. “My husband knocked on the door and said that he was coming back from lunch, passed the parking lot and saw atree had fallen on my car.”

According to campus police, the fallen tree was severely rotted, down into the center core of the tree. The physical plant was called to remove the tree and any debris caused.

A crowd of onlookers had gathered as workers used small cranes and other equipment to unbury the cars.

“I’m a little freaked out,” said Alexis Wilson, a library assistant at Wallace Hall. “I got back from lunch at 12:40, went inside, and at 12:44 I got a phone call that this happened.”

One at a time, the owners of the cars could move their vehicles to assess the damage, with one owner reporting chipped paint and damage to the bumper.

While this tree has done its damage, campus police notes there may be more trees like it around campus.

“This is not the only area we have these types of trees,” said George Beaudry, the chief of Troy Campus Police. “We’re very fortunate today that we’re dealing with property damage as opposed to injury or loss of life.”

“I encourage our students, faculty and staff members when they’re out walking around campus, if they decide to try and take advantage of shade, they just need to be conscientious and mindful that this kind of thing can happen.”