Fallen tree creates problems for Pittsburgh-area homeowner dealing with health issues

A couple in Penn Hills is in the dark, along with a large tree in their front yard, after it came down Friday afternoon, blocking the sidewalk that leads up to their front door.

KDKA-TV spoke with the homeowners, who said that the tree that fell, along with several others, had been marked for removal by Duquesne Light for months after branches were getting tangled with wires.

Nearby neighbors contacted Duquesne Light roughly six weeks ago, saying the roots were starting to come up, and were told they would be there within two weeks of the call to take care of it. 

Frances Visk, currently battling acute myeloid leukemia, says the blockage can pose risks when leaving for appointments, or even in the case of an emergency. 

"My wife is battling AML, and she quite often has to go out to get blood transfusions and things like that. God forbid, right now, if an ambulance was to come or something like that, they wouldn't have any access to using the front sidewalk or the front porch," homeowner John Visk said.

The Visks remain without power as of Saturday and say they have contacted Penn Hills officials. They also say that no one was hurt as a result of the tree falling.