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Tree on Northwestern campus falls down on 4 staff members

By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Updated  February 16, 2023 9:33pm CST
Evanston
FOX 32 Chicago

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EVANSTON, Ill. - Four Northwestern University staff members were injured, one of them critically, when a large tree fell on the Evanston campus Thursday afternoon.

The tree fell around noon in the 2000 block of Sheridan Avenue and struck four pedestrians walking on a sidewalk, according to Evanston police.

The Daily Northwestern reported the tree fell between Lunt Hall and the Jacobs Center and a photo showed the trunk resting near benches along a sidewalk.

One person was taken to Evanston Hospital in critical condition, police and fire officials said. Two others were taken to the same hospital in serious condition. The fourth pedestrian was treated and released at the scene.

All four victims were staff members of Northwestern, Evanston FD said.

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An Evanston fire official said the wind and ice played a factor in the tree falling down.

"The University is working with an arborist to determine what caused the tree to fall, and if other trees in the area are potentially compromised," the university said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the members of the community who were injured, as we await updates on their conditions."

Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.