Woman Killed in Bed by Falling Tree, Husband Trapped

A 90-foot tree fell on a home in suburban Philadelphia early Friday, killing a woman in her bed and trapping her husband beside her for hours before he could be rescued, authorities said. The tree apparently came down on the split-level home at about 6am local time, but rescue units were not called until about 8:15am after a neighbor heard screams, officials said. It then took more than an hour after that call to free the husband. Marjay Cooper was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband Alan's injuries did not appear to be serious.

A tree service was called to lift the tree with a crane, and then fire crews used chainsaws and crow bars to clear roofing, tree limbs, and other debris to free Alan, officials said. When rescuers got to the bedroom on the upper floor, Alan knew his wife had died and told them: "Get me the hell out of here," a township safety officer said. Alan spoke calmly to the crews as they worked to free him, Marple Township Police Chief Thomas Murray said. Snow did not appear to play a role in the tree falling. "It was a freak accident," Murray said. (More falling tree stories.)