Tree crushes mom of 4 as she moves SUV to safety during storm, Texas cops say
A Texas woman was killed when a tree landed on her vehicle as she tried to move it to safety, Houston police told news outlets.
As severe storms hit the Houston-area on Thursday, May 16, Christin Martinez was worried her SUV might get crushed by a large, old tree looming near it, police told KPRC. At about 6:30 p.m., the 31-year-old mother of four went outside to move the vehicle to safety, police told the station, but her timing was tragic.
“Unfortunately, when she got in the car, it fell when she was inside,” Houston police Lt. R. Willkens told KHOU, adding that she was pinned in place. Firefighters lifted the tree off and her body was pulled from the SUV.
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Martinez was a mother of four boys, ages 12, 10, 8 and 1, according to a GoFundMe page set up by her family. She and her husband “were high school sweethearts and had been together for 15 years,” it read.
Officials say several people have died in the Houston area due to the storms, including Martinez, KRIV reported.
Weather knocked out power for many homes across the area, as well as streetlights, stop lights and other infrastructure, city officials said at a news briefing.