Nicki Carano, a 48-year-old musician, dancer and music teacher, died Jan. 31 after a tree fell onto her passing car and three parked vehicles in Pacific Beach, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.
The oak tree, eight feet in diameter, fell across Ingraham Street south of Fortuna Avenue.
The tree completely blocked off the road, taking firefighters several hours to cut through the branches and trunk and recover the victim’s body. Investigators worked into late Sunday night, blocking off all four lanes of Ingraham.
Carano was on her way to a performance with her two bands when her car was crushed. Passersby or emergency crews couldn’t do anything to save Carano.
After her death, friends and loved ones have been posting their condolences online, mourning the loss of a “powerful woman and passionate musician and friend.”
Carano is a graduate of Clairemont High School and taught at the San Diego Academy of Performing Arts and Nightingale Music School. She performed nationwide and worldwide and was a talented drummer, singer and dancer.
Carano’s band posted on Facebook, “Our drummer and vocalist was killed while making her way to the show. We are going to collect ourselves for this is a loss that’s heavier than one can explain.”
Powerful winds downed dozens of trees and utility poles throughout San Diego County as the result of a winter storm that arrived just before noon Jan. 31.
Wind gusts topped 50 mph in the San Diego area and 52 mph in Mission Beach, according to the National Weather Service. The highest reading of the day was at Whitaker Peak, north of Castaic, where a gust was recorded at 115 mph.
Wayne Tyson, a former park planner and park construction inspector at Balboa and Mission Bay parks, who was visiting the memorial to pay his respects, claims that from the remaining roots of the oak tree it can be seen that the tree was at least partially on city property.
“It’s only my speculation, because I’m not an attorney, but if the city required that the tree be preserved as a condition of permit to construct this property, that may mean that the city is at least partially liable for proper maintenance and protection of the public from the tree,” Tyson said.
San Diego City emergency dispatch received close to 350 calls of downed or damaged trees to its 24-hour hotline. You can call (619) 527-7500 if you need to report a downed tree in your neighborhood.
