Man killed, toddler survives after tree falls on car in Seward Park



SEATTLE --  A man and a toddler were inside a vehicle hit by a tree Sunday afternoon in Seattle's Seward Park.

Seattle Fire officials said the man is dead, but a passerby was able to rescue the little girl from the backseat of the vehicle. She had minor injuries, and was released from Harborview Medical Center this evening.



Firefighters originally thought the driver was a woman. When they were able to remove the tree from the vehicle, they discovered it was a man. His identity and his relation to the child has not been released yet.

The tree came down in the 8500 block of Seward Park Road a little after 1:30 pm. It's unclear whether the vehicle was moving or parked at the time.

The Upper Loop of Seward Park was closed immediately after the accident. As a precaution, police and staff made the decision to close the entire park around 5 pm.

Seattle Parks later closed Carkeek Park and the off leash area of Golden Gardens, due to the danger of trees falling. They say at least seven trees came down in city parks during the storm.

Strong winds battered the region for much of Sunday afternoon downing trees and knocking out power for thousands of people.