KENNEWICK — City officials and tree experts are checking the health of trees in a Kennewick park after a massive branch fell and killed a Benton City woman over the weekend.
The Tri-City Herald reports that 37-year-old Stephanie Judd was sitting on her bench with her son at a festival in Columbia Park Saturday when the limb of sycamore tree fell on her.
Kennewick city spokeswoman Evelyn Lusignan says the park remains open but workers will re-evaluate trees this week and prune limbs where needed. The city manages the park, which is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers.
City officials said they did an annual assessment of the trees in Columbia Park over the summer but the sycamore that dropped its branch was not identified as a potential hazard.
Blustery winds of up to 25 mph were reported in the Tri-Cities on Saturday.
