Twin killed when tree hit car near Renton, sister and daughter survive

RENTON, Wash. — The medical examiner released the identity of the woman who was killed when tree hit her car on Monday night near Renton.

Deidra Clark, 34, was driving the car with her twin sister, Deitra Clark, in the passenger seat. 
The pair were returning from the grocery store, Deidra's 4-year-old daughter was in the back seat.

A cottonwood tree snapped off in the15900 block of Southeast 179th Street and crushed the car.

Neighbors heard it and ran outside.

"I heard a huge crack and a big boom when it fell and the horn just constantly blaring," said neighbor Sarah Bergh.

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Bill Cameron got to the car first. "I couldn't see anyone in the front seat, it was crushed," said Cameron. "There was a young child about 3 or 4-years-old just standing sort of, eyes wide open," he said.

First responders declared Deidra Clark dead at the scene, her sister was taken to Harborview, Deidra's daughter was checked out too.

Deidra's fiance came by the scene Tuesday evening. He said his daughter is distraught, "She misses her mom. She's asking where her mom is," said Norman, who asked us not to use his name.  He said Deidra had recently earned her high school diploma and was going to cosmetology school.  He said most of all she loved being a mom. "She was on the right path doing everything she could to be a good mom and good citizen."

Detectives from the King County Sheriff's Office investigated the accident. They examined the tree and said it appeared healthy.  A detective was back at the scene on Tuesday taking pictures.

Norman thinks more should have been done to prevent the accident, "This is where our children ride their bikes, skateboards, come through here, come home from school. What if that tree would have fallen on our kids?"

Deitra, Deidra's twin sister, is at Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

"She's still in ICU. They removed the breathing tube from her today," said Norman," She's heartbroken, she lost her twin sister and nothing's closer than that."

Cox Media Group