Five children lost their parents in an instant after a 174ft redwood tree crashed on their car while they were driving for a weekend trip.
Jake and Jessica Woodruff were on their way to Northern California when the tree fell on their vehicle.
The couple were driving down Route 199 toward the coast to celebrate Jessica’s 45th birthday.
Officials said it was a pleasant day with no strong winds. California Highway Patrol Officer Brandy Gonzales told SFGate: “We have trees everywhere. It’s in the middle of the redwoods. It’s just growth and we have no idea why the tree fell. It was Mother Nature.”
She added: “The timing of everything was very, very unusual.
“I’ve been on the department for 19 years and I’ve been in this area 12 to 13 years and it’s very unusual. We’ve had trees fall down and cars make contact, but this kind of incident is very unusual.”
Amanda Maffei, a friend of the family, set up a GoFundMe page to support the couple’s children.
“This was a shocking and unexpected event, and the tragedy of this accident makes it difficult to accept as real,” she wrote.
“We are asking that anyone who can support them, please do so, as these children are facing the devastating reality of what was just ripped from their lives in a split second.”
The GoFundMe page had raised over $100,000 by Monday.
Maffei added: “Those of you who know this family, know how tight-knit they are, and their lives will forever be changed.”
Jessica and Jake are survived by their children Chelsea, Allie, Casey, Evan and Megan.
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