Tree Falls On Moving Car; 2 Kids Dead And 4 Wounded

Two children were killed and several others were wounded on Monday when a tree fell on top of their moving car in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

The victims, both girls under the age of 10, were in the vehicle along Route 403 in Conemaugh Township when the tree tumbled down and landed on top of the car, CBS Pittsburgh reported. Two other girls under age 10 were injured and taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center for treatment.

Coroner Wallace Miller told the station that the victims- identified as 8-year-old Ryleigh Freiwald and 6-year-old Macayla Freiwald- died of blunt force trauma.

"In my 23 years, I've never had anything like this here, this magnitude of this accident with children involved like that there," Conemaugh Township Police Chief Louis Barclay told the station.

Witnesses say a pregnant woman was able to get out of the vehicle after the incident. The male driver was reportedly unconscious.

"I saw this lady get out of the passenger seat and she was yelling my babies," an unnamed witness told CBS Pittsburgh. "We did watch them cut the doors off and cut the roof off, and get the driver out of the car."

The driver was identified as Jason Himebaugh, who was not the father of the children. He and the pregnant woman, 26-year-old Ashley Lichty, received medical treatment but the extent of their injuries was not immediately known. Lichty is reportedly being treated in the ICU.

Residents said there was nothing wrong with the tree the day before the incident, however there was heavy rainfall in the area. Barclay said officials have determined that the base of the tree was rotted.

"All indications are it was just a freak accident," Barclay said according to the Associated Press.

The status of the injured children, 5-year-old Ciara Freiwald and 3-year-old Lillie Freiwald, was also not immediately available.