From staff reports

A sleeping Vicksburg teen died early this morning when a tree fell and crushed part of her family’s home on Dusty Road.

Olivia J. McMillan, a sophomore at Warren Central High School who would have celebrated her 15th birthday Tuesday, was pronounced dead at 5:40 a.m., Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said. The initial call to E-911 was recorded at about 4:30 a.m.

Huskey said the teen had head, chest and abdominal injuries.

“It’s just a bizarre tragedy,” Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said.

Deputy John Elfer said he believes the tree was an oak “that broke off at the base” and hit the home at 115 Dusty Road.

“We did not have a storm,” he said.

Olivia’s parents, Roger and Sherry McMillan, were asleep in the other end of the mobile home and were not injured, Elfer said.

Rain over the past few weeks possibly contributed to the tree’s falling. The city has recorded 0.88 inch of rain during the first week of the month, but more than 6 inches the week before.

Olivia was a member of the choir at Bowmar Baptist Church and at school, where she was carrying on something of a family tradition with her membership in the varsity group, Warren Central choir director Nancy Robertson said.

“It’s a great family, unbelievable family,” Robertson said, adding she also taught Olivia’s sister, Sharayah McKellar, who now lives in Byram.

“She loved choir,” McKellar said through tears this morning. “She made varsity as a sophomore — an honor to get there. It’s all she ever talked about.”

Glenwood Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.