Woman killed by falling eucalyptus tree mourned

Friends gathered at a Costa Mesa chapel Thursday night to mourn the loss of Haeyoon Miller, a Juilliard-trained violinist who was killed when a eucalyptus tree crushed her car.

While some tried to lighten the mood in the Harbor Lawn-Mt. Olive Memorial Chapel, the grief from such a sudden loss filled the room. Miller, 29, was from Tustin.

Videos of a young Miller playing violin streamed throughout the modest hall, and her older sister Erika Ahn took the stage soon after the screens went black.

"Haeyoon hated watching videos of herself playing violin," Ahn said beside an open casket, "and I was hoping she'd sit up and say, 'Stop that!"

Many of the roughly 100 mourners sobbed, while relatives and close friends in the first few rows remained reserved, often with their heads bowed.