Erik Medalle, a veteran Pokemon artist and designer at The Pokemon Company lost his life on Sunday in a freak accident in Seattle when strong winds caused a massive tree to collapse onto his car. He was 42 years old.
King 5 News in Seattle reported that Medalle was driving with one of his two daughters to a park called Lost Lake Trail when a windstorm knocked over trees in the area, including one that fell onto his vehicle. A bystander who witnessed the accident managed to rescue Medalle’s daughter from the wrecked car. She was treated at a nearby hospital with only minor injuries.
According to park arborists, there was no indication whatsoever that the tree that fell onto Medalle and his car was going to fall. The crew looks for signs of decay, which include broken branches, cracked limbs, and abnormal growth.
Medalle worked at The Pokemon Company since 2003 designing Pokemon characters for multiple games in the series over the years.