Deputies responded to the 3800 block of Birch Drive just before 1 p.m. after the woman’s boyfriend reported the incident. They arrived to find power lines and trees down across the roadway nearby.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Capt. Dave Parin on Monday called the incident an “unfortunate tragedy" and “act of nature."
“Our deputies interviewed everybody at the scene and they found that she was out walking her dog around her house when a branch from a tree separated and struck her in the head,” Parin said.
“She took the dog out for relief is what I understand,” he said.
The woman’s boyfriend was at a neighbor’s at the time, Parin said, but was alerted to the incident after the dog got away. The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she died.
The Miami Valley on Sunday saw storms and high winds that knocked down trees and branches and led to power outages for thousands. From about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Parin said the sheriff’s office received 40 calls in the Harrison Twp. area, with 23 related to the weather.
Parin reminded residents to avoid heavily wooded areas and trees during windy and icy weather.
“Anytime we have severe weather be mindful of it,” he said. “Stay indoors.”
A power line was still down on Birch Lane on Monday, and trees in the area could be seen with limbs missing. A pile of wood also was on the side of the road.
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