Southwestern Indiana toddler hit by falling tree limb dies

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) – Southwestern Indiana officials say a toddler has died from injuries she suffered when she and her father were struck by a falling tree limb.

The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s office says 13-month-old Anastasia Abell of Fort Branch died Monday at an Evansville hospital.

Abell was at a relative’s Gibson County home when she was struck by the limb, which authorities described as being 20-feet long and 12 inches in diameter.

The coroner’s office says the incident appears to be “a tragic unforeseeable accident.”

The Evansville Courier & Press reports the girl’s father was also injured by the branch, which Gibson County Sheriff’s office investigators believe fell more than 50 feet.

Police are still investigating how the branch fell but say there’s no evidence of human tampering or intervention.