Old Oak Tree Crushes Truck, Traps Workers

That atmosphere was interrupted Sunday when a large oak tree fell in front of Wilson Library, crushing two trucks that were parked underneath it.

Three workers helping to dismantle Tar Heel Town were in their trucks for a lunch break by the steps of Wilson Library when the tree unexpectedly fell on top of them.

No one was injured when the tree fell about 12:30 p.m.

Archie Cheek, one of the workers, said the falling tree caught them by surprise.

"We decided to go to lunch," he said. "I went to ask them what they had for lunch. Then I walked back to the other truck, opened the door, sat down, and reached for my lunchbox and started hearing acorns. Next thing I know I'm lying down, looking at branches."

Richard Vinroot, a UNC medical student, was sitting on the quad waiting for Wilson Library to open when the tree fell. "It fell out of the blue," he said.

Vinroot said he heard loud popping sounds and saw the tree leaning toward Wilson. There was no wind at the time.

He saw it start to fall and yelled to the workers, "Get the hell out of there."

The tree took about seven to 10 seconds to fall, he said. After it had fallen he got up and ran toward the trucks. He said he had to climb through the branches to get to the workers.

Vinroot saw Cheek already on the phone with someone when he got to the first truck.

Climbing through more branches, Vinroot saw how badly the second truck was damaged and called back to Cheek to call an ambulance.

When he arrived at the truck, he said, he saw two people lying down in the remaining space. The tree had crushed the roof of the cab nearly down to the gear shift. "I couldn't believe those guys weren't dead in there," Vinroot said.

Police reportedly received a call at 12:32 p.m., and firetrucks and an ambulance went to the scene but left because no one was hurt. Police taped off the area to keep people from walking near the tree.

University Grounds Service began clearing the tree away at about 2 p.m.

Cheek and the other two workers went back to dismantling Tar Heel Town after they got out of the vehicles.

Cheek said that they took a little break but that he wanted to get the work over with and go home. "I'm ready to go to sleep -- just relax, you know," he said with a smile. "I am scared to stand around the rest of these (trees)."

Police said the tree could have fallen because of the drought and dry conditions.

University Forester Thomas Bythell said that he wasn't sure why the tree had fallen and that there were many possible reasons. "Trees coming down on beautiful no-wind days doesn't happen often," he said.

Bythell said the only thing for certain was that the tree had a weakened root system.

Kirk Pelland, UNC grounds director, said grounds services looks at all trees to try to make sure none will fall.

"No one would expect this one," Pelland said. "I think it was just time for this tree to come down -- it's just a good thing no one got killed."

Assistant University Editor John Frank contributed to this article.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.