9-year-old killed when 2 trees collapse onto car at family’s lake campsite in Maine

A 9-year-old girl was killed when a passing storm uprooted trees and sent two crashing into her family’s campsite in southeast Maine, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Hallie Oldham of Poland, Maine, died when one of the trees fell across the roof of a car where she had taken shelter, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The incident happened around 4:15 p.m. Thursday, July 21, as a severe storm moved over the Sebago Lake Family Campground in Standish, the sheriff’s office said. Standish is 20 miles west of Portland, Maine.

“At the time, Jarod and Jennifer Oldham were preparing to leave the campground with their children to escape the storm,” the sheriff’s office reports.

“Just prior to the Oldham family leaving, two large pine trees were uprooted by strong winds. One tree struck the awning of the Oldham’s camper and then crushed the family’s truck. The second tree struck the vehicle occupied by Hallie, her younger sister, and her mother. Hallie’s father had not yet gotten into the car.”

Sebago Lake Family Campground said the storm “came out of no where and left massive devastation and destruction” at the site.

Both of the Oldham family’s vehicles were destroyed, and heavy equipment was needed to free the girl’s mom and sister from the vehicle, rescuers said.

“This horrific tragedy also proved to be a miracle that the rest of the family survived this incident,” the sheriff’s office said said.

“Emergency response to the campground was difficult, given numerous road blockages in nearly every direction. ... Other sites within the campground and homes in the surrounding area ... also sustained heavy damage, with dozens of trees uprooted and/or broken in half.”

Hallie Oldham was a student at Poland Community School. She played both basketball and soccer, and when she “wasn’t playing sports, she could be found playing games or being outside with her sister Kylie and her family,” according to her obituary.

“She was a delightful student at PCS, and will always be remembered for her smile and kindness to others,” the school posted.

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 10:11 AM with the headline "9-year-old killed when 2 trees collapse onto car at family’s lake campsite in Maine."