Snapped tree crushed car after inspection error in Auckland CBD's St Patrick's Square 9 Mar, 2021 05:20 AM 4 minutes to read A "gap in the system" was blamed after a tree toppled in a downtown Auckland square, crushed a car, and narrowly missed people. After the melia tree collapsed in St Patrick's Square, council documents suggested the tree had not been maintained for at least six years, despite visible decay. The tree near the Catholic cathedral crushed the roof above the driver's seat and the front windscreen. Photo / John Weekes Auckland Council information disclosed after Herald enquiries showed a council legal consultant raised concerns about the quality of tree inspections.