Parents of five die after a 175-foot-tall redwood tree fell on their car while they were driving up the California coast for birthday getaway
- Jessica and Jake Woodruff were killed in the incident on Thursday in California
- Married couple were driving up the coast to celebrate Jessica’s 45th birthday
- Redwood tree fell and smashed on top of their car as they drove a scenic byway
- They leave behind four daughters and one son who are devastated at the loss
- Officials say it was a rare freak accident and there were no winds that day
A married couple with five children has tragically died after a redwood tree fell on top of their car as they were driving for a weekend getaway.
Jessica and Jake Woodruff were driving on Thursday down Route 199 toward the coast in Northern California when the 175-foot-tall tree crashed down on their 2016 Honda Accord.
Jake, 36, was driving Jessica up the coast to celebrate her 45th birthday, an annual tradition for the couple, who live in Yreka with their children.
‘This was a shocking and unexpected event, and the tragedy of this accident makes it difficult to accept as real,’ family friend Amanda Maffei wrote on a GoFundMe campaign to support the couple’s five children.
Jessica and Jake Woodruff were driving on Thursday down Route 199 toward the coast in Northern California when the 175-foot-tall tree crashed down on their 2016 Honda Accord
The aftermath of the accident is seen. The couple were driving up the coast to celebrate Jessica’s 45th birthday, an annual tradition for the couple, who live in Yreka with their children
Jake and Jessica are survived by their children (above), Megan, Evan, Casey, Allie, and Chelsea
‘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,’ wrote Maffei.
‘Those of you who know this family, know how tight-knit they are, and their lives will forever be changed,’ she added.
Officials say it was a pleasant day with no wind, calling the odds of a tree falling directly on a car astronomical.
‘We have trees everywhere. It’s in the middle of the redwoods. It’s just old growth and we have no idea why the tree fell. It was Mother Nature,’ California Highway Patrol Officer Brandy Gonzalez told SFGate.
Friends and family were devastated by the death of Jessica (above) and Jake in the accident
The couple’s two eldest children are seen above. Officials call the accident ‘very unusual’
Officials say it was a pleasant day with no wind, calling the odds of a tree falling directly on a car astronomical
‘The timing of everything was very, very unusual,’ she added.
‘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,’ Gonzalez said.
Jake and Jessica are survived by their children, Megan, Evan, Casey, Allie, and Chelsea.
The GoFundMe campaign for the family had raised more than $88,000 by Monday.
The fatal tree fell across Route 199 where it passes through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Conditions at the scene were ‘clear and dry’ when the accident occurred just before noon
The fatal incident occurred in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, which preserves old-growth redwoods along the Smith River.
The part is located along U.S. Route 199 approximately nine miles east of Crescent City.
The park is named after 19th century explorer Jedediah Smith, the first U.S. citizen to cross the Mojave Desert to enter what is now California.
Advertisement
