Falling tree kills Philly man on hike

HAGERSTOWN, Md.

- A man killed by a falling tree on the Appalachian Trail was a Philadelphia environmental engineer and folk musician who frequently camped in rugged conditions, friends said yesterday.

Jason Parish, 36, suffered a fatal head injury Sunday morning when high winds brought down a tree near an overnight shelter on the trail near Weverton, about 60 miles west of Baltimore, the National Park Service said.

Parish and two companions had come about 6 miles since starting their northward hike in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., on Friday, the agency said.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail superintendent Wendy Janssen expressed gratitude to those who responded to the accident, including an off-duty ranger who performed CPR.

Parish released his debut album, "A Mountain and a Hill," in January, said Ernest Tokay, owner of Little Spiders Have Big Dreams Studio, where the music was recorded.

- Associated Press