NJ Infant Killed, Mother Injured in Central Park by Tree Limb

By Alicia Cruz

The New Jersey Newsroom.com

A New Jersey mother was injured and her baby killed Saturday after a tree limb fell and struck them as they posed for a picture in front of the sea lion exhibit at New York's Central Park Zoo.

The Associated Press reported that the 33-year-old mother, whose name has not been released, was taken to Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where she is listed in serious but stable condition.

The young mother and her daughter, Gianna Ricciutti of Union City, New Jersey were posing for a picture in front of the exhibit as her husband snapped a picture of the two, when suddenly, the branch snapped and fell. The family was visiting the zoo with another family when the 2 p.m. accident occurred.

NYPD sources told NBCNewYork that zoo visitors screamed as the branch fell about 40 feet, striking both the mother and baby in the head before crashing to the ground and splitting in half, according to eyewitnesses at the scene.

Max Pulsinelli, a spokesman for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the zoo, said he could not comment on the accident beyond what the police had said, but told NBC NewYork "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family."

Baby Gianna, who was six-months old, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Her death was the second fatality caused by a fallen tree branch this year at Central Park. In February, Elmaz Qyra, 46, of Brooklyn was killed when a tree branch, weakened by heavy snow, snapped and hit him on the head.

33-year-old Sasha J. Blair-Goldensohn, a computer scientist for Google suffered brain and spinal injuries after a rotted tree branch fell on his head, knocking him unconscious in July 2009 as he walked through Central Park near the West 63rd Street entrance.

The accident left a gash in Blair-Goldenso’s skull, damaged his upper vertebrae and caused a partial lung collapse. He later sued the city and the Central Park Conservancy for negligence.