{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T22:21:32Z","timestamp":1788992492958,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,19]],"date-time":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721347200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,19]],"date-time":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721347200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001786","name":"The University of Adelaide","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001786","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Forensic Sci Med Pathol"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:p>Tree failure, or summer branch drop, refers to situations where large branches or whole trees may unexpectedly drop on unsuspecting victims. On occasion, this involves vehicles impacted by falling overhanging trees or branches. To study this phenomenon further review of the Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia, database and an internet news search were undertaken over a 20 year period from March 2004 to February 2024 for all cases where unexpected accidental deaths in South Australia had been caused by falling branches or trees. There were six cases (age range 12\u201363 years; average 39 years; M:F 1:2). Three deaths occurred when branches dropped onto vehicles being driven along roads, 2 occurred when entire trees dropped onto the victims (one in windy weather) and 1 was due to a branch drop. Three tree species were identified as a grey box gum tree (<jats:italic>Eucalyptus microcarpa<\/jats:italic>), a lemon-scented gum tree (<jats:italic>Corymbia citriodora<\/jats:italic>) and a Cottonwood tree (<jats:italic>Populus deltoides<\/jats:italic>). The remainder were variants of eucalyptus (gum) trees. Deaths due to tree failures are uncommon and may involve a variety of different tree species with these events not necessarily occurring during high winds or storms. The major findings at autopsy are blunt force injuries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s12024-024-00858-9","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,19]],"date-time":"2024-07-19T11:02:06Z","timestamp":1721386926000},"page":"624-627","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Tree failure \u2013 A natural phenomenon with forensic implications"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Roger W.","family":"Byard","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"858_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0246805","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0246805","volume":"16","author":"M van Haaften","year":"2021","unstructured":"van Haaften M, Liu Y, Wang Y, et al. Understanding tree failure - A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2021;16:e0246805.","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"858_CR2","unstructured":"Robertson D. Community in shock as falling tree kills girl. https:\/\/www.adelaidenow.com.au\/news\/south-australia\/shining-star-mourned\/news-story\/f8fbc7ce77d2507d0ea6061eef054789 (Accessed 24 March 2024)."},{"key":"858_CR3","unstructured":"Founten L. Inquest told dangerous tree led to young woman\u2019s death. https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2011-09-12\/rebecca-jolly-tree-death\/2881758 (Accessed 24 March 2024)."},{"key":"858_CR4","unstructured":"Nelson H. Woman crushed to death by falling tree at Adelaide sports ground. https:\/\/7news.com.au\/news\/woman-crushed-to-death-by-falling-tree-at-adelaide--c-13512989 (Accessed 24 March 2024)."},{"key":"858_CR5","unstructured":"Cosenza E. Man crushed to death by fallen tree branchhttps:\/\/www.news.com.au\/national\/south-australia\/man-crushed-to-death-by-fallen-tree-branch\/news-story\/b5b9a550900ee49c3b19ed2600295bfe (Accessed 24 March 2024)."},{"key":"858_CR6","unstructured":"Olle E. Tree incidents in SA: The state\u2019s horror history of freak branch falls revealed. https:\/\/www.adelaidenow.com.au\/news\/south-australia\/tree-incidents-in-sa-the-states-horror-history-of-freak-branch-falls-revealed\/news-story\/051ee0835354f78e3ef50927aac6a002 (Accessed 24 March 2024)."},{"key":"858_CR7","unstructured":"Bond C, Sulda D. Two dead in separate crashes at Chapman Bore and Mount Pleasant, where tree branch fell on car https:\/\/www.adelaidenow.com.au\/truecrimeaustralia\/police-courts\/karoonda-highway-closed-after-serious-crash-at-chapman-bore-near-murray-bridge\/news-story\/3b05db19d244ebc0cba6a87890 (Accessed 24 March 2024)."},{"key":"858_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Weyrauch D. Death associated with trees. Ch 8. In: Rutty GN, editor. Essentials of autopsy practice updates and reviews to Aid Practice. Springer Nature Switzerland; 2022. pp. 155\u201383.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-11541-7_8"},{"key":"858_CR9","first-page":"389","volume":"58","author":"Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)","year":"2009","unstructured":"Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Work-related fatalities associated with tree care operations \u2013 United States, 1992\u20132007. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2009;58:389\u201393.","journal-title":"MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep"},{"key":"858_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Michael J, Gorucu S. Occupational tree felling fatalities: 2010\u20132020. Am J Ind Med 2021;64;969\u2009\u2013\u200977.","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.23286"},{"key":"858_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1136\/ip.2009.021683","volume":"16","author":"LR Brodie","year":"2010","unstructured":"Brodie LR, Ibrahim JE. 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