One person is in critical condition and two others are in serious condition after a tree fell on them near Northwestern University during heavy winds in Evanston around noon on Thursday, authorities said.
On Thursday, at approximately noon, Evanston firefighters and paramedics responded to a medical call resulting from a fallen tree at 2001 Sheridan Road, the Evanston fire department said in a release. It said Evanston 911 dispatch received multiple reports of individuals who were injured and entrapped by a tree that had fallen on them.
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First-arriving companies responded within minutes, and found “multiple patients lying on the ground alongside a tree,” said the release. It said the medical response was immediately upgraded to bring in additional ambulances to assist with medical care and city coverage.
A total of four patients were provided medical care and one patient “was determined to be in critical condition, while two were in serious condition,” according to the release. It said a fourth patient was offered medical care and signed a patient refusal form. The three injured patients were transported to Evanston Hospital according to a tweet from the Evanston Police Department.
The incident happened near Northwestern University’s Evanston campus and the university issued a statement on its website on Thursday saying that earlier in the day, a tree fell near Jacobs Center on the Evanston campus, injuring at least five people.
The release did not say if the injures were students but it did say “three of those injured have been transported to a hospital. There are numerous emergency personnel in the area. The University asks that you avoid the area near Jacobs if possible so emergency crews can respond properly.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
