Longtime Broadway Actress Recovering After Being Hit By Flying Christmas Tree
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A veteran Broadway performer was recovering Monday after being injured in a bizarre accident.
As CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported, Patti Karr, 85, suffered bruises after being struck by a flying Christmas tree that had been thrown away and left at the curb.
"It was just out of nowhere," Karr said.
Karr, a former Broadway actress, said it happened a week ago Monday during the windy nor'easter. She was walking her beloved dog, Lillian Gish, around her Upper West Side building.
Karr said the last thing she does remember is walking home, south on West End Avenue. She said she stepped off the curb to 76th Street, and the next thing she remembers after that is waking up in an ambulance.
"I said, 'What's the matter? What happened?' And they had to tell me what happened," Karr said, laughing. "It made me laugh almost, except that it hurt too bad."
A witness told CBS2 the wind had picked up the tree – sending it straight into Karr.
"I was unconscious I guess - out!" she said.
Karr said she had no broken bones – just a lot of bruising on her right side.
The old Christmas trees are gone now, but people said they were around longer than normal.
"I've noticed it, it's like whoa, what's that? You know, Christmas was a month ago -- over a month ago now," said Amar Parhar of the Upper West Side.
Karr said she also noticed that the discarded Christmas trees had been left out a long time.
"I kept thinking, when are they going to get them out of here?" she said.
The city Department of Sanitation said it was supposed to pick up Christmas trees from Jan. 4 through Jan. 14. But the department said it "responded to three snow alerts, which required sending out hundreds of plows and spreaders within that time period."
Thus, tree collection was extended until this past Saturday.
Karr said she has no plans to file a lawsuit. She just hopes the city picks up the trees quicker next time.
"Don't leave them on the street -- they get angry or something!" she said.
Karr said she will also think twice next time about walking in the wind.
The Sanitation Department said workers have collected 242,000 Christmas trees this season.
