COSTA MESA – One person was killed when a tree slammed into a car Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Police received initial reports of a vehicle crashing into a tree, but when officers arrived at the scene, it wasn’t immediately clear how the driver was injured, Costa Mesa police Lt. Mark Manley said.

“It may have been a tree just fell onto the car,” Manley said.

Rescuers responded to the intersection of Irvine Avenue and 17th Street about 2 p.m.

A 50-foot eucalyptus tree landed on top of the vehicle, which was occupied by one person.

A helicopter was initially called to transport a woman to a hospital, authorities said, but was called off when she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities have not identified the woman nor released her age.

Newport resident Pier Warmuth said she was driving a convertible with its windows down westbound on 17th when the tree fell. Warmuth said she didn’t hear or see any collisions and indicated that there wasn’t any wind in the area at the time.

“All of a sudden, there was a weird creaking noise, then everyone was looking around and suddenly there was the tree,” Warmuth said.

A man got out of another vehicle to try to help the woman, Warmuth said, but was unable to reach her.

“There was nothing you could do. The tree was enormous, and it was lying right on the driver’s side,” Warmuth said. “It just happened so quickly. It could have been any of us.”

Both directions of Irvine Boulevard were closed from 17th Street to Mariners Drive, Costa Mesa police Lt. Bryan Glass said, as investigators go over the scene and workers remove the tree and the car.

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