UPDATED Thursday, July 16, 2009 --- 5:12 p.m.

Friends say a memorial service is set for Roch Kendrick.

A gathering of friends and family will be held Friday, July 17, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wilhelm Tell Shooting Park, N8741 Cty Hwy O, on the North end of 2nd Street, in New Glarus, Wis.

A memorial fund has been established for the children and contributions can be made to:

Kendrick Kids Fund
c/o Amcore Bank
P.O. Box 639
New Glarus, WI 53574

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UPDATED: Friday, July 10, 2009 --- 9:10 p.m.
REPORTER: Chris Woodard

The tragic news is still sinking in for those who knew Roch Kendrick.

The only thing harder to believe than how it happened, who it happened to.

The scene is still hard to believe for those who were there. The accident is even tougher to comprehend.

46 year old Roch Kendrick was driving this car when the tree above him snapped, fell, crushed the vehicle and killed him.

The married Kendrick leaves behind a wife and two young children.

Garrett Krueger says, "It's always kind of hard to hear these things but when it's so unexpected or something so freakish and accidental like today, yeah."

Krueger knew Kendrick from the art world. He was a regular at iron pouring clinics in LaCrosse.

He says, "Roch was extremely nice, very helpful, always ready to give you some information, some advice even if it was something you didn't ask about. He was always kind of high energy."

In Kendrick's neighborhood in New Glarus neighbors are obviously shocked and and they say Roch was a great guy who always seemed to have something going.

As a mechanical engineer in the University of Wisconsin physics department for the last 10 years Kendrick was involved in many areas of research including an experiment in an underground bunker.

A busy man with a zeal for life, taken away by a freakish twist of fate.

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UPDATED Friday, July 10, 2009 --- 2:25 p.m.

We've learned Roch D. Kendrick is an employee at the Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a staff engineer who had worked there for about 10 years.

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UPDATED Friday, July 10, 2009 --- 2:03 p.m.

From the Dane County Coroner's Office:

This morning a tree fell down across main street in the Village of Oregon, landing on top of a passenger car that was traveling northbound. The driver and only occupant of the car died instantly after sustaining severe crushing head and chest injuries.

He is identified as:

ROCH D. KENDRICK
Age 46
New Glarus

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UPDATED Friday, July 10, 2009 --- 12:00 p.m.

One person is dead after a large tree fell on a car as the driver was heading through the Village of Oregon.

It happened at about 8:15 Friday morning. The 46-year-old man was driving down the 400 block of North Main Street when the large oak tree sheared off its base and slammed on top of the car.

The coroner pronounced the driver dead on arrival. His name will not be released until family can be notified.

Witnesses say it was a small red Geo Prism. And the tree was so heavy and hit the car with such force that the trunk was basically lying flat on the street.

Said Jake Soule who arrived on scene shortly after, "You couldn't tell where the concrete started and the vehicle started. It was completely on top of the car."

Witnesses also say that about the time the accident happened a brief, yet powerful thunderstorm rolled through the Oregon area with winds in excess of 50 miles per hour. They said it was taking large branches off of trees.

The rest of the oak tree will be taken down before the day is out.

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UPDATED Friday, July 10, 2009 --- 10:30 a.m.

From NBC15's Chris Papst at the scene:

Main Street remains closed at this hour in Oregon after a tree fell on top of a car, killing one person.

The identity of the victim has not been released. Authorities are currently contacting family members.

Neighbors say powerful winds were blowing when the tree split in half.

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Posted Friday, July 10, 2009 --- 9:00 a.m.

One person is dead after a tree fell on top of a car in Oregon.

Right now, emergency crews are at the 400 Block of North Main Street.

According to NBC15 photojournalist David Clay at the scene, it appears the tree split in half.

Emergency crews are at the scene, including Dane County Coroner's Office who just confirmed one person is dead.

Main street is closed, between Lincoln and Monroe.