A US woman was killed after being crushed by a falling tree branch while she was at her teenage daughter's softball tournament. The victim, identified as Gendie Miller, 49, from Pennsylvania, had taken shelter beneath a tall tree, alongside her husband, Bill Miller, when the tree branch fell on her on Thursday (Jul 24).
She was watching her daughter, Marlee, 16, playing in the Western PA College Showcase softball camp at Renziehausen Park in front of prospective college coaches. As per Mr Miller, he suddenly heard a loud cracking noise and hurried to usher his wife of 17 years away, according to a report in New York Post.
"I said to my wife, 'Let's go.' I jumped out of my chair, felt a small branch of some sort that grazed my leg. And I immediately turned to my right to look back at her, and she was face down with large, multiple branches and limbs," he said.
Bystanders sprang into action and moved the branches, but the extent of the injuries was too severe. As the emergency services arrived on the scene, Ms Miller was rushed in an ambulance to Forbes Hospital Trauma Center in Monroeville. However, before she could be taken to the hospital, Ms Miller stopped breathing and was pronounced dead on arrival.
"To be so traumatic, and with the heavy load of the type of branch and limb, it was devastating. And I can tell you that she didn't die from her heart, because her heart's too big," said Mr Miller.
Marlee's coach, Michael Mull, started a GoFundMe page to help the Millers through the sudden tragedy. As of the last update, Rs 44 lakh ($51,500) had been raised for the family.
"Between medical/ambulance bills, funeral items, and initial lost wages, Bill and Marlee could use all the help they can get," the page read.
"Although it doesn't bring back their loved one, it takes a little bit of the burden off of coming up with funds they don't have right now for something so sudden and unexpected."
