Finally, 12,100 pound tree trunk removed

<p>A 12,100 pound section of valley oak that caused a crane to crash through the roof of a Santa Rosa home was removed by a second, larger crane Wednesday.</p><p>The piece was removed as part of an investigation of the Nov. 16 accident on Molly Court that displaced Michelle and Kevin McCarthy, their sons and dog and captivated news audiences.</p><p>As a crew from Windsor-based Precision Crane Services Inc. hoisted the piece over the crumpled two-story house with a 200-ton crane, Kevin McCarthy said he had a sense of déjà vu. It was placed to rest on his driveway without incident.</p><p>“There's a sense of relief,” said McCarthy, as he stood by with neighbors wearing a hardhat. “I'm just glad nothing else happened.”</p><p>The trunk was removed as part of an OSHA investigation. Jon Elliff, co-owner of the crane company, said he used a larger crane with 77,000 pounds of counterweight and a boom that extended 156 feet.</p><p>He was cleaning up after the initial job done by Reliable Crane & Rigging went awry. The weight of the diseased tree upended the company's 175-ton crane, bringing the boom down on top of the house. No one was injured.</p><p>The McCarthys have been displaced since the accident. They lived for about a week in a residential hotel and recently moved into another, temporary house while their house is repaired.</p>