Family speaks out after mother and son killed by falling tree on way home from pumpkin patch
Family speaks out after mother and son killed by fallen tree
Family speaks out after mother and son killed by fallen tree
PRESTON, Wash. - It was a rainy fall afternoon when Max and Camille Martlin were driving home to Bellevue through Preston when the unthinkable happened.
"It happened so fast, one minute they were driving down the road, I don’t think they say it coming or heard it or anything," said Brian Martlin, Max’s father.
A large tree came crashing down, killing the mother and son inside their car. "Seeing the car, the tree on the car-and how devastating it was...he was such a sweet kid, had such a bright future."
RELATED: Medical Examiner's office identifies 2 killed by fallen tree near Preston
Max, 22, was a college student with a busy social life, but he always made time to spend with his mom. Loved ones say they had a very special bond. "They were going to pick pumpkins, they could’ve just bought them at the store, but no they went to the pumpkin patch. That is what they were doing, and that’s Camille, that’s her nature."
Loved ones say it was around 3 p.m. Sunday, when wind gusts in the area reached their peak.
"Preston Fall City road really is just natural habitat for its forest out there," said Bryan Petitclerc, owner of Elite Tree Removal in Bothell. He says he’s all too aware of the damage trees can cause. "I’ve been doing this almost 37 years and me and my family still sleep downstairs even though I maintain all of my trees . There’s things going on beneath the ground you just can't see."
He says this past storm wasn’t necessarily worse than most of our fall storms, but it caused more widespread damage. "It can be decay, disease, it can be weak soil, it can be a lot of things that go into it. It’s a big picture it’s not just the wind but it's combination of factors."
But the wind certainly doesn’t help—especially when trees still have their leaves, weighing them down. He says homeowners should have a certified arborist give them a free consultation on their tree's health-as there are lots of warning signs a tree is weak.
A close friend of the Martlin family has started a gofundme campaign to help cover funeral expenses.
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