A man has died after being hit by a falling tree branch near the Capitol Building grounds in Washington, D.C.
A government employee has died after being hit by a falling tree branch in Washington, D.C., reports WTOP.
House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed the incident by tweeting Tuesday, “This morning, a tragic accident on Capitol grounds took the life of Matthew McClanahan, a pipefitter for the Architect of the Capitol.”
The agency’s head, Stephen T. Ayers, added in his own statement that “a large branch of an American Elm fell and struck Matt, who was working nearby on an irrigation pipe.”
According to WJLA, the branch was 30 to 40 feet long. The victim was said to have been in “extremely critical” condition after being rescued, and he eventually died from his injuries.
Ryan had also tweeted that “Matthew and his wife, Lauren, have two young children, Evie and Matthew. Their loss is so sudden and unimaginable.”
Both he and Ayers asked for kind thoughts for the family.
WRC reports that the tree which caused McClanahan’s fatal injuries is expected to be taken down after an inspection.
