Giant Tree Topples, Killing Passing Driver In California

<p>A California driver&nbsp;was killed Sunday when a giant 8-foot-diameter tree was toppled amid high winds brought on by a winter storm.</p>

Monday, February 1st 2016, 9:12 am

By: News On 6


A California driver was killed Sunday when a giant 8-foot-diameter tree was toppled amid high winds brought on by a winter storm.

CBS affiliate KFMB reports the oak tree fell across all four lanes of the street, crushing four cars, including the small Honda sedan containing the victim, whose identity is being withheld. Firefighters worked to remove the victim's body from the crushed car more than two hours after the tree toppled on it.

The winter storm that moved across California on Sunday brought powerful winds, heavy rain and snow, authorities said.

San Diego Fire and Rescue Capt. Joe Amador said: "To the people out here dealing with the rain: be careful, drive slowly and arrive alive."

Strong winds downed dozens of trees and power poles and ripped off rooftops - and in one case, solar panels - across Southern California.

Wind gusts topped 50 mph in the San Diego area and 65 mph in Malibu, according to the National Weather Service. The highest reading of the day was at Whitaker Peak, north of Castaic, where a gust was recorded at 115 mph.

The storm also dropped up to an inch of rain in some places by 4 p.m. Sunday, and forecasters said up to 2 inches of rain was expected in the valleys of Los Angeles County and as many as 3 inches possible for southwest-facing foothills and mountains.

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