Two killed when tree falls on truck on U.S. 2 near airport exit

Two people were killed Wednesday morning after a tree fell across all lanes of U.S. Highway 2, striking a box truck near Airport Road in Spokane.

The truck was traveling east when the tree fell on the cab of the vehicle. The truck continued moving, eventually going off the right side of the road, said Washington State Patrol Sgt. Greg Riddell.

Officers got the initial call for the collision at 6:27 a.m. and were on scene by 6:35 a.m. Both the driver and passenger were pronounced dead on the scene.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident. Riddell said the tree appeared to be partially rotted, and the Spokane Police Department stated in a news release that investigators believe heavy winds at the time may have caused the collapse.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory just before 6 a.m. Wednesday. Winds at Spokane International Airport were recorded at 28 mph around the time of the tree falling, and by 7 a.m., they had climbed to 46 mph, said Meteorologist Jonathan Fox, of the weather service. A gust of 68 mph was clocked at the airport around 10 a.m.