Fallen tree causes detours, damage

One person was injured when a tree fell on a moving vehicle on Campus Drive in front of the financial aid office Tuesday afternoon.

The injured passenger was taken to the hospital, but their condition was unknown Tuesday night, said Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department. Traffic was blocked on Campus Drive between the West Campus traffic circle and Anderson Street for more than two hours after the incident, with vehicles were redirected to Duke University Road. In order to access buildings along the blocked-off area, people had to walk around the scene. Police opened one lane at approximately 4:30 p.m. and allowed vehicles to proceed eastbound along the route.

The accident occurred around 3 p.m. when Amy Cleckler, coordinator for the Women’s Center’s gender violence prevention program, and a campus visitor were traveling toward East Campus. A tree on the lawn of the financial aid office fell onto the hood of their silver Honda Fit. Joe Jackson, director of grounds, sanitation and recycling, said older trees of this size—around 36 inches in diameter—tend to fall when there is a lot of wind and the soil is damp.

Although the smaller branches and debris in the street were cleared yesterday evening, the trunk, which remains in the financial aid office’s lawn due to its weight, will be removed within the next one to two days, Jackson said.

“In my 16 years [at Duke], never have I experienced this kind of situation,” Jackson said, adding that he has seen trees fall before, but never on a car.