DOT reaffirms its commitment to road safety following the fallen tree incident on Route 15 that injured two people in Orange

Some scary moments on Route 15 during the morning rush hour Thursday when a tree fell across all northbound lanes in Orange, hitting two cars. It happened near the Milford Line off Exit 56 around 9:23 a.m.

The Milford Fire Department responded to the crash. The driver of one car and the passenger of the other were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries but are expected to recover.

“Obviously, this could have been worse,” said Assistant Fire Chief Stephen Rabel. “This tree was split and had two shoots, and one of the shoots was rotten, which caused it to fall over. The state Department of Transportation has been pruning trees to prevent this from happening.” Josh Morgan, communications director for CTDOT, said the incident reinforces the agency’s commitment to making roads safer through vegetation management policies that require the removal of dead and dying trees along state roads.

Morgan told News 12 that the Department of Transportation works with an arborist to determine which trees need to be cut down, a number that has increased in recent years following severe storms in 2017 and 2018. “The roads have been closed virtually every other week due to falling trees and debris. That’s how we’ve been able to get extra money to cut down those trees,” he explained.

Morgan said part of the problem is that the state has been overrun by invasive species. “The ash avens has destroyed virtually every ash tree in Connecticut. Gypsy moths and other species are really wreaking havoc. That makes these trees incredibly dangerous,” Morgan explained.

“The Department of Transportation told one of our teams that this time of year, when it’s really hot and dry, the insects are more inclined to go indoors to find coolness and moisture, so they’re more active, which may have caused the rotten branch to fall,” Rabel said. Morgan said the tree trimming program involves removing healthy trees when the root structure is damaged and the soil cannot support the weight of the tree. The Department of Transportation has also established a containment zone where any vegetation within 30 feet of the shoulder is removed. Morgan said the number of tree deaths along state roads in the state has dropped dramatically since crews began additional vegetation control in 2018.

“On average, 20 to 22 people died each year from collisions with trees on Connecticut roads. That number has now dropped to 10 to 14,” Morgan said. “The program is working and is part of our broader strategy to ensure people get to their destinations safely.”