SOUTHEASTERN PA — Two people were killed by fallen trees in the greater Philadelphia suburbs on Wednesday as a powerful storm brought destructive wind gusts and heavy rain.
The incidents in Collegeville and Aston Township are just the latest fatalities caused by severe weather in the region, as record floods and tornadoes have wreaked sometimes deadly havoc on the region in the past several years.
The first victim was 82-year-old Mary Baker, who was sitting in her car at a red light in Collegeville at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
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That’s when a large tree fell across the intersection at East Main Street and 9th Avenue, caving in the roof of her small gray car. The Trappe Fire Company said Baker was trapped inside.
Responders were able to remove her from the vehicle and transport her to a nearby hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter.
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See related: Woman Killed In Collegeville After Tree Falls On Car During Storm
Several hours passed before the second death, which occurred at around 7:35 p.m. on Pennell Road in Aston Township.
The driver, identified by the Delaware County Daily Times as 70-year-old Michael Kranyak, 70, of Wilmington, Delaware, was somewhere between Mt. Alverno Road and Jessica Way when a tree came down on him.
The tree hit the roof of his Chevy Cruze and killed him instantly, police said.
See also: Tree Falls On Vehicle, Kills Man In Delaware County
Up to about four inches of rain fell in some parts of southeastern Pennsylvania during the storm, which continued throughout the day Wednesday. A flood watch was issued throughout the region and several waterways, including the Schuylkill River, saw minor flooding.
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