'Incredible person' dies after being struck by falling branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park

A woman who was struck by a falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park last week has died of her injuries, according to a friend who confirmed the tragic incident to CTV News Toronto.

Pari Nadimi, a 71-year-old owner of an art gallery blocks away from Trinity Bellwoods Park, was there last Tuesday, the day after a storm swept through Toronto, says Madeleine Donahue.

“She was an extraordinary sister to her siblings and her nephew, and a leader in contemporary art. She will be completely missed by the art community, by her friends. We have lost an incredible person who was a warm compassionate person and it’s a total tragedy,” Donahue said in an interview with CTV News Toronto.

Nadimi loved running and walking and was likely enjoying the park when the branch fell, Donahue said. She was rushed to St. Michael’s Hospital.

“The doctors confirmed it was a massive brain injury. There was no chance of recovery. She was gone,” Donahue said.

“The family is completely devastated and is coming to grips with everything that has happened with this tragedy.”

Nadimi runs the Pari Nadimi Art Gallery, which describes itself as a gallery that showcases “significant artists whose work is ambitious, challenging and intellectually motivated.”

It’s not the first time a tree branch has fallen and killed someone in Trinity Bellwoods Park.

In 2016, a French man shielded his wife when the bough of a Siberian Elm suddenly fell. He died and she survived. At the time, police said it was a freak accident.

Police cordoned off the park last week and the City of Toronto said it would look further at the tree.

Donahue says she’s not sure what to say yet about any safety issues the trees may present. She says she’s focused on the funeral.