Large Tree Collapses on Six Vehicles at Lake Sammamish State Park on Father’s Day, Two People Trapped

Vitaliy Ben, who was walking with his wife and two children toward their SUV after spending Father’s Day watching the sunset at the beach, said they were roughly 100 feet from their vehicle when the tree came down without warning. “We just hear this loud cracking noise suddenly. I just look up towards the noise, and I see this tree start tipping over, falling,” Ben said. “This was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, nothing like it.”

Ben said there was no gust of wind or any apparent trigger for the fall, though he noticed several people standing near the tree in the moments before it toppled. It remains unclear whether the tree showed signs of decay or structural instability. The two people who were initially trapped inside their vehicle remained there for approximately 15 minutes before bystanders helped free them.

Over the course of the evening, park rangers worked to help people retrieve their vehicles from under the fallen tree. One driver was able to drive away after the tree was cleared, while others had branches cut away by chainsaw to allow their cars to be pulled out. Ben’s SUV remained at the scene Sunday night, taped off with cones for further investigation.

Ben said the timing was the only thing that prevented a far worse outcome. “It could have been a nightmare, guys, it could have been a huge tragedy. Imagine this happening 20 or 30 minutes earlier, where there was a ton of people out here,” he said. “I’m just thankful that nobody died in this situation.”