Huge pine tree falls on house, crushes sleeping couple
Posted 6:50 AM, January 21, 2019, by FOX 5 Digital Team and Maria Arcega-Dunn, Updated at 06:58PM, January 21, 2019
SAN DIEGO – A couple that was visiting San Diego from North Dakota died when a huge tree collapsed onto a house they were renting in Point Loma Heights Monday morning.
The tree crushed the upper floor of a two-story house in the 4400 block of Santa Monica Avenue east of Ocean Beach around 6 a.m. The National Weather Service recorded wind gusts of 40 mph during the time the tree fell.
Residents were concerned about tree before fatal collapse
"It was horrendous. I've never heard anything like it. It was crashing and people yelling," a neighbor told FOX 5. "The tree has been here as long as I've moved here 50 years ago. It's been pruned and re-pruned. It was an accident waiting to happen."
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department official said a man and woman who were sleeping in a room on the second story of the house died. A third person who was on the first story was rescued by firefighters. He was not seriously hurt.
The couple were identified as Jessica and Troy Nelson of Grand Forks, North Dakota, according to the Grand Forks Herald.
Jessica and Troy Nelson were killed when a huge tree fell on the home where they were sleeping. (Photo: Trojan Productions)
"They were just two peas in a pod," Troy's sister Tammy Reynolds told the Herald. "It is such a peace for us that they went together."
According to the Herald, the couple owned a Trojan Productions, an product promotion company. A staff member at the company told the Herald that the Nelsons were in San Diego to attend a trade show.
Man drags woman into alley in OB sexual assault
Neighbors said that the owner of the home has been renting the house as a short-term or vacation rental. An advertisement on the vacation rental site VRBO.com shows a photo of the house and lists the rental price as $193 a night. The listing says the two-story, 1,000 -square-foot home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and sleeps four to six people. The listing has 78 reviews.
"Woke us up, and then I looked outside my west viewing window over towards that tree and it was no longer there," said neighbor John Collom.
3 San Diego patrol cars damaged in chase
John Collom lives across the street and woke up to the sound of the tree crashing. He says the large Torrey Pine had been at the center of a dispute between the two homeowners for quite some time.
"The western side was reluctant to have it removed," said Collom.
On a Google Maps view of the tree prior to it falling, the extremely large pine leans over the property line.
"It's tragic. The tree is down and that's sad for some of us, but many of us are happy. But the fact that these two individuals, unassuming people I'm thinking were they're just as friends or renting or whatever were victims, of the tree issue," said Neighbor, John Collom.
Several power lines in the area were down due to the fallen tree. San Diego Gas & Electric crews were at the property working on them.
It took several hours before officials could get to the deceased couple due to the power lines and structural damage. The house has been red tagged by the City of San Diego.
"We're trying to work with the property owners," said SDPD Lt. Christian Sharp. "It's really early in the investigation and it's going to be a couple agencies that are going to be looking into this. Right now this is looking like this is going to be a natural disaster sort of thing, It's very tragic unfortunately."
Topics: breaking, Featured On Instagram, Ocean Beach
Man dies after car crashes into tree
Man spots brother running from OB murder scene
Tree falls on performing arts theater in Balboa Park
2 more probable E. coli cases linked to San Diego County Fair
Local startup's peanut butter whiskey gets shoutout from Foo Fighters frontman
Hit-and-run driver hits 2 people, cop car on OB Pier
Scooter crash on Mission Beach Boardwalk turns fatal
Catch the day's top headlines on the FOX 5 Weekend Update
5th E. coli case linked to San Diego County Fair
Accused car burglar leads police on chase through South Bay
Woman on honeymoon becomes 10th U.S. tourist to die after Dominican Republic vacation
73-year-old killed in rollover crash
19 animals rescued in Imperial Beach house fire