Memorial at entrance to Edmonds park where teenager struck, killed by falling tree

Family and friends of Diana Olidinchuk gathered at the entrance to Meadowdale Beach Park for an impromptu memorial to the 17-year-old girl, who was struck and killed by a falling tree.

"I'm not sure why it happened or what happened," said her identical twin, Lilly, outside their Everett home.

She asked that her face not be shown as she described what she knew about her sister's last moments.  She said her friends told her they had been hiking when they heard a loud crack.

"A tree fell and it didn't get any of them," Lilly said. "But then, like, the roots were connected to the other trees."

That brought down three more trees.  One of them, a huge Douglas fir, fell on Diana.

"And she wasn't able to get away," said Lilly.

Late Friday afternoon, as medics consoled the teens who had witnessed the terrible accident. The Douglas fir was so large, they reportedly tried to move it but were unable to do so.  Firefighters had to use a power saw to cut the tree away.

By then, Diana was dead.

All of it, nearly too much for those who knew and loved her.

"It's just very hard to get through this," Lilly said.

"How are you getting through it?" she was asked.

"I have a lot of family that love and support me and they're just there to talk to me anytime I need to," she said.

The memorial has been growing steadily as those who know and love Diana have been coming by.

Her twin said the family will likely hold her funeral service late next week.

Cox Media Group