Driver of stolen car destroys couple’s tree

Two years after donating one of their two front-yard pine trees, Larry and Veronica Nelson lost their other tree to a reckless driver in a stolen car.

The Nelsons donated a 20-year-old blue spruce to be Milwaukee County’s Official Christmas Tree in 2006, the tree which is displayed annually within the county courthouse. Now, two years later, the Nelsons have lost their other front-yard tree, a white pine which the couple planted 15 years ago and eventually grew taller than their house.

“The second tree provided shade in the living room for us,” said Veronica Nelson, who was sitting in the living room watching television and crocheting Nov. 25 when a car sped uphill, through the neighbors’ railing, through the Nelsons’ railing, eventually coming to a crashing halt, destroying the tree. 

Veronica said the police told her the car was stolen and, to her knowledge, the police never found out the identity of the joyriding thief. Her neighbor, however, reported seeing a young man in a black hoodie fleeing the vehicle. Only a foot and a half of the tree remained following the crash.

“He had to be going pretty doggone fast,” said Nelson. “The kid was speeding and the car was stolen. When he stopped against the tree he got out and ran.”

Veronica said the police told her if the driver had not turned the wheel when he did, the car would have ended up in the living room where she was sitting.

Veronica and Larry Nelson have lived at their Bay View home, 2557 S. Graham St., since 1970.

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