Safety concerns raised after tree falls on car on Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway

Damaged windows and doors are what’s left of the white Toyota Sienna that belonged to Jessica Rooks.

It was just after 4 p.m. Friday when she was driving back home after picking up her kids from school and a tree fell on her car along Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in Fairfax County.

Although neither Rooks nor anyone from her family was injured, she said, this raises serious concerns about the condition of the foliage along this road.

“And as we’re driving, a tree that we could not see, it came out of nowhere, smashed the whole front windshield of our car,” Rooks told News4. “My driver’s side window there was glass all over us and in my mouth, in my hair, all over my sister, everywhere.”

With the recent storms and high winds, many of these trees appear unstable, according to some residents. This road is heavily used by families, commuters, and other drivers every day.

Far from the scene, but under similar circumstances, on Thursday morning, a tree fell on a car on the George Washington Parkway, killing the driver inside. U.S. Park Police said it happened just after 7:30 a.m. near Donaldson Run and Virginia State Route 123 in McLean.

Back in Mount Vernon, although Rooks’ family is still shaken, she only hopes authorities take action on this matter, before more lives are put at risk.

“We shouldn’t be too scared to drive on a road that, one, is so beautiful and is such an easy way to commute but that they really heed to this and really care and take notice and pay attention to the safety of everyone in this community,” she said.

News4 reached out to the National Park Service for comments about this particular case but has not heard back yet.