WASHINGTON — A neighborhood in Southeast D.C. is asking the city to do more in keeping a local park safe after a woman was hit and killed by a falling tree branch.
The woman who was killed was simply walking her dog.
On another busy day at Garfield Park, some, like Toni Aluisi, took a moment to pay their respects.
“I put flowers there, because we lost a life," she said. "We lost a neighbor, and we lost a person who loved dogs and we all have dogs and walk around here.”
A memorial started to take form Thursday, honoring 35-year-old Sarah Noah who was killed by a fallen tree branch at Garfield Park Wednesday morning. Witnesses told WUSA9 Noah was walking her dog with her husband when she was killed.
Neighbors who live near Garfield Park sent a letter to D.C. leadership Wednesday asking for more to be done maintaining the parks’ safety.
It specifically notes a similar incident in 2011 where five people were nearly killed by a falling branch here.
Neighbors told WUSA9 that this letter had 125 signatures in support. They'll hold a community meeting at the park Monday night and expect D.C. officials to attend.
Tree was climbed during championship
Charles Boston is an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist, Maryland tree expert, and tree risk assessment qualifier. He is not involved in the investigation, but in October 2023, he helped run the North American Tree Climbing Championships held at Garfield Park and on the tree that broke Wednesday.
“It also was the tree, once the preliminary round was over, it was used for recreational climbing. So, if you would’ve walked up, you and your daughter, and said ‘Hey, we want to go up.' That’s the tree you would’ve been on," said Boston.
Boston said arborists thoroughly checked the trees before the competition. This week DDOT said the trees in the park were found to be healthy during an inspection a year earlier, in 2022. DDOT told WUSA9 Thursday that they are inspecting the tree after cutting it down to determine what caused the limb to fall.
Urban Forestry crews from DDOT were at Garfield Park Thursday examining other trees and removing branches.
“I appreciate it, but OK, what about tomorrow?” said Aluisi.