Tree falls on woman at birthday dinner in MN

[FreeFallin]

Trees lift 1000s of pounds of carbon and suspend it 100s of feet in the air, there really is no completely safe way to interact with them, but this case looks very preventable.

http://www.kare11.com/mb/news/tree-falls-on-woman-at-wayzata-punch-pizza/441455832

 

[Tom Dunlap]

This part of the trunk was left standing in the woods.

What can be deduced?

There are a few other fresh stump cuts too nearby

 

[cerviarborist]

Looks like a lot of edge trees. I wonder how long ago that business building was erected. Many of the trees in one photograph have grown phototropically and are now leaning from the edge toward the open sunlight.

 

[Daniel]

Looks like that trunk may have looked sound to the untrained eye before it fell... Often small cracks and bits of decay can be signs of significant structural weakness. can vary by species. I've seen a lot of maples in similar condition that show very little sign of decay on the trunk