Tree Knocked Down at Rye Street Park

South Windsor police said a motor vehicle collision knocked over a tree at Rye Street Park sometime between 2:30 p.m. on Monday, May 4, and 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5. The department said it is asking residents for help identifying who was involved after the damage was discovered at the park. (patch.com) The case has been described by police as a collision investigation tied to the toppled tree, not a weather-related incident. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Officer Linda Hernando of the South Windsor Police Department. ### When did police say the tree was knocked down? The South Windsor Police Department said the incident window ran from 2:30 p.m. on May 4 to 2:30 p.m. on May 5. (patch.com) That one-day span is the central fact in the investigation because police have not publicly identified a vehicle, driver or witness. Patch, citing a department post, reported that police were looking for information after a motor vehicle collision knocked over the tree. WFSB also reported on May 6 that South Windsor police were seeking the public’s help in a crash at the park that caused a tree to be knocked over. (patch.com) ### What have police said about how it happened? South Windsor police wrote in their public appeal that they were looking to see whether anyone had information “regarding a motor vehicle collision” in which the tree was knocked over. The department did not, in the material reviewed, say what kind of vehicle was involved, whether anyone was injured, or whether officers believe the driver stayed at the scene. (patch.com) The available public statements also do not say whether the tree was struck on a roadway, in a parking area or elsewhere inside the park grounds. Rye Street Park is a named town park in South Windsor, according to the town’s GIS materials. (patch.com) ### Where is Rye Street Park in South Windsor? Rye Street Park is identified on the Town of South Windsor’s GIS mapping system near Rye Street and Brookfield Street. The town map shows the park as a municipal recreation site, though the map excerpt available through search results does not provide amenities or a street address in the visible text. Town records and recent local coverage indicate Rye Street Park is an active public recreation area. (patch.com) Patch reported in March that pickleball courts there had reopened after town crews cleared them for use. ### Who is police asking residents to contact? Officer Linda Hernando is the investigating officer listed in the department’s public request for information. (southwindsor-ct.gov) Police said anyone with details can call 860-644-2551 or email linda.hernando@southwindsor-ct.gov. The South Windsor Police Department’s main offices are at 151 Sand Hill Road, according to the town’s police page. (southwindsor-ct.gov) The same page lists 860-644-2551 as the department phone number. ### What details have not been released? As of the public reports reviewed, South Windsor police had not released the make or model of any vehicle, a possible suspect description, surveillance images or an estimate of the damage. (patch.com) Police also had not said whether the collision could lead to charges or whether town crews had already removed the downed tree. The town has dealt with damage issues at Rye Street Park before, though in different circumstances. (patch.com) A town manager report published earlier this year said the park had previously been closed because people were driving vehicles and snowmobiles on the fields, and the town later reopened it while repairs were made. That report did not describe the May tree incident. (southwindsor-ct.gov) ### What happens next in the case? South Windsor police said the next public step is the tip line handled by Officer Linda Hernando. Residents with information can contact her by phone or email while the department continues investigating the collision reported between May 4 and May 5. (southwindsor-ct.gov) (patch.com)