By Citizen staff reporters

A strange mix of high winds, heavy rains and plummeting temperatures marked the official end of winter as spring began today at 1:26 p.m.
‘This time of year we have the biggest battles between winters cold and warm spring air,? said Bryan Tilley, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in White Lake Township.
‘Spring wants to move in and winter wants to hang on. It’s some very strong contrasting air masses, when they mix the low pressure creates strong winds.?
Monday’s weather event started over Wisconsin, and moved east over southeastern Michigan into western Ontario early Monday creating peak gusts between and 50 and 60 mph, said Tilley. In comparison level one hurricane force winds are at 75 mph.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning after peak gusts lasted for about 2 minutes with sustained winds at 30 to 40 mph.
While no records were established, the considerable drop in temperature from about 60 degrees on Sunday to the low 20s on Monday, coupled with about an inch of rainfall cause proved tragic on Monday afternoon.
A 25-year-old Columbiaville man died following a freak accident on Sherwood Road.
David Aaron Allen was one of three people injured when the cab of the Ford F-150 pick-up truck they were riding in was crushed by an oak tree that fell on it.
The accident occurred about 2:36 p.m., during high winds.
Brandon Fire Chief Bob McArthur said the weight of the tree compacted the truck’s cab down. A branch from the tree struck Allen in his lower body, causing massive trauma. Firefighters used chainsaws to cut parts of the tree away and then the Jaws of Life to extricate Allen, as well as a 36-year-old female passenger and the 43-year-old male driver.
An ambulance from Brandon Township transported Allen to Genesys Regional Health Park, where he died soon after arrival.
An ambulance from Independence Township transported the driver to Genesys with non-life-threatening injuries.
The woman, who had been sitting in the center of the cab, was the last to be removed, as nine firefighters worked around the massive oak tree to free her from the mangled truck. She was extricated just under 30 minutes after the accident happened and taken to Genesys, also with non-life-threatening injuries, according to an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office report.
McArthur said he had never seen a tree that large fall on a vehicle and had never seen an accident where a tree fell on a moving vehicle.
‘It’s pretty bizarre and the worst luck in the world,? he said.
Craig Bryson, public information officer for the Road Commission for Oakland County, said the Department of Citizen Services had previously received a call on the Sherwood Road oak tree as a hazard.
According to a report from the RCOC, a Sherwood Road resident reported the tree to the Department of Citizen Services in January. The department receives the call and routed it to the correct agency to handle the issue, said Bryson.
In the RCOC report obtained by The Citizen, the resident stated ‘a part of (the) tree fell close to (the) road some time ago and is worried that the rest of the tree is ready to fall. Res. (resident) says base of tree is about 8 (feet) off side of road. Please review for rest of tree removal and clean up, ‘it looks dangerous to drive under.??
The foreman received the message on Jan 12, and went to the Sherwood Road tree site on Jan. 13. In the report from the RCOC foreman responded, ‘I see no hazard, nothing to be done at this time.?
‘In the first 10 months of 2005 we received more than 1,200 calls regarding trees in Oakland County,? said Bryson. ‘That’s one tree along one road in the county.?
‘Our foreman was there within 12 hours of the call. It’s his judgement on his experience and analysis, he had to make a judgment call it’s easy to second guess and not being able to see the future. He did not believe it posed a threat at that point.?
‘The foreman is not a forestry expert, he assigns the staff to do things. There were 60 mph winds that day, how do you determine the health of the tree??
‘At some point, they (investigators) have to make a judgment call based on their experience and the information they have,? Bryson said. ‘Generally, we don’t have these tragic results. No one can predict when a tree will fall. It’s not an absolute definitive that a tree will fall. That’s crystal ball territory. It’s trying to foresee what will happen in the future and we can’t do that.?
The irregular weather prompted a tornado watch on Monday providing a three-day weekend for Goodrich students Monday.
The cancelation came in response to a Goodrich school district policy requiring students be dismissed in the event a tornado watch is issued.
Superintendent Kimberly Hart said school was canceled at 7:15 a.m. Because school begins at 7:30 a.m. for Goodrich Middle School and Goodrich High School, the late cancelation caused conflict for parents needing alternate arrangements.
Hart said the delay was caused by conflicting information as to whether or not there was, in fact, a tornado watch in effect.
‘We don’t just make those decisions lightly,? said Hart. ‘It is difficult (for parents) and we do understand that.?
Hart said the policy is approximately 20-years-old. With Monday’s cancelation drawing attention to the policy, the Goodrich Area Schools? Board of Education will re-examine the issue at 6 p.m., March 20 during a special school board meeting at Goodrich High School, 8029 Gale Road, said Hart.
Hart added that parents are encouraged to communicate their thoughts and opinions on the policy either at the board meeting or via phone calls and e-mail.
‘Twenty years ago, our makeup of our families was probably different,? said Hart. It was, perhaps, easier for parents to make sudden adjustments when the policy was originally implemented Hart added.
Hart encourages parents to have an alternate plan for child care in place in the event of a school closing.
‘There are many occasions that we could have to close, said Hart. ‘Make sure kids know where to go and what to do.?
While residents grappled with winds and warnings other parts of the area were submerged due to a combination of heavy rain and frozen ground.
Resident Mitch Bellamy watched as several acres of his property along Dutch road near the Kearsley Creek in Atlas Township, covered in several feet of water Tuesday morning.
‘I would say twice a year it does this,? says Bellamy, 44, gesturing toward the small pond that was his backyard.
‘We have lake front property today,? Bellamy laughs.
Bellamy estimates as much as 15 percent of his 25 acres is submerged in the murky brown water.
A swing set sits in the middle of the flooded property with only the top half of the slide and chains of the swings still visible.
Bellamy says his two children, age 7 and 5, don’t mind the water; they float around the backyard in the family canoe.
In the spring, Bellamy says he can fish in the floodwaters on his property.
‘This last rain we got really is what did it,? says Bellamy.
He points to a section of the water and explains it was formerly his garden.
The water usually recedes after a week, says Bellamy.
Bellamy attributes some of the flooding to the Atlas Dam located a few miles upstream..
‘Whatever they do with that dam,? says Bellamy, ‘it really affects us here.?

Staff reporters Susan Bromley, Laurel Droz and David Fleet contributed to this report.