By Ansley Haman
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — A Hendersonville, Tenn., family survived a brush with nature when three trees fell across the car in which the group was traveling through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Monday night.
Jillian McHenry, 20, was driving a 2001 Nissan Altima southbound on Newfound Gap Road, also known as U.S. 441, when three locust trees uprooted and fell across the roof of the car, said Nancy Gray, park spokeswoman.
Brenda McHenry, 54, was in the backseat, and Michael McHenry, 22, was in the front passenger seat. The incident occurred about 6 p.m. a mile south of the Chimney Tops trailhead.
“It compacted the rooftop right into the passenger compartment. The locust trees over the top of the vehicle extended across the roadway,” Gray said. “Park rangers cut the trees off of the vehicle, and the Gatlinburg Fire Department used their extrication equipment to remove the passengers.”
The three McHenrys were transported to Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center, where they were treated and released. Officials couldn’t specify how the three are related.
The trees, one of which was about 10 inches in diameter, fell simultaneously, Gray said. “It lookedlikethelargeronebrought down the other two,” she said.
Gray said the park’s vegetation specialist would examine the locust trees Tuesday to see if thetheywerehealthyatthetime of their fall.
“We did have strong winds last night coupled with recent snow melt and ground saturation,” Gray said Tuesday.
A national park weather station on Cove Mountain, about seven miles from the scene, registered average winds of 22 mph and gusts of up to 56 mph between 6 and 7 p.m. Monday, according to Bob Miller, park spokesman.
Such conditions might have caused the trees, which have shallow roots, to fall, Gray said.
“It is not that unusual for trees to fall in their natural environment,” Gray said. “More often trees fall without injuring anybody.”
In 2001, a hiker was killed by a tree on one of the park’s trails, Gray said.