Falling tree crushes car and kills driver near Eiffel Tower Powerful winds in Paris have caused a tree to crash onto a car near the Eiffel Tower and kill the driver

PARIS -- Powerful wind in Paris sent a tree crashing down onto a car near the Eiffel Tower on Thursday, killing the driver.

The man driving the car on the picturesque embankment of the Seine River was the only person hurt when the tree fell, fire department spokesman Florian Lointier told The Associated Press. He was declared dead moments after medics arrived.

Police barricaded the area, in front of the Quai Branly Museum, as emergency workers spent hours trying to clear away debris.

The Paris fire brigade said sudden gusts of wind and rain pummeling the French capital caused more than 100 storm-related accidents.

In the Paris suburb of Montrouge, five people were injured when a brick balcony collapsed, Lointier said. Elsewhere winds knocked down power lines and damaged roofs and chimneys.