9-year-old boy dies after tree falls on mobile home during strong storms in southern Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A southern Indiana boy died after a large tree fell onto a mobile home as strong storms moved through last week.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, emergency crews were called about 2:43 p.m. Wednesday to the 8800 block of North Canaan Main Street in Madison for a tree that fell on a mobile home with people trapped inside, including a 9-year-old boy.

"The husband came out from the back side also when I heard her yelling for the other boy, just screaming for him," neighbor David Trice said. "She couldn't find him. We all looked as much as we could because you can't go far because the tree is there. We couldn't find him."

The sheriff's office said the tree fell during high winds as heavy storms moved through the area.

"It was kind of an ugly day, windy, cloudy and what I heard sounded like thunder," neighbor Russell Beaman said.

What neighbors heard was a tree uprooting and crashing into Ben and Abby Miller's home.

"The fireman tried to tell her to get out and she said, 'I ain't going to get out, no. I'm going to find my kid,'" Beaman said.

Fire crews found the boy, identified as Braden Miller, severely trapped under the large tree inside the mobile home. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Jefferson County coroner.

"He was under the center of the tree," Beaman said. "It took them two hours to get that tree jacked up enough to get him out."

A GoFundMe was created for the family.