A woman who died after a large tree branch crashed onto a car in Melbourne has been identified as a nurse from Ireland.

Mary Ellen Molloy was rushed to hospital but died after the branch fell onto the car she was travelling in on Kings Way at South Melbourne around 9pm on Friday.

Ms Molloy, in her mid-20s, was from the Irish county of Donegal and was working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, News Corp reported.

She had been in the back seat of the car. A 25-year-old woman with her in the back was in a stable condition with head and back injuries at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The driver, a 38-year-old man from Wallan, and a 25-year-old woman from Balaclava who was a front-seat passenger were uninjured.
Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss said the council was “shocked and saddened” to hear about the accident.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the person who lost their life after a tree branch fell on a vehicle they were travelling in,” she said on Saturday.

Ms Voss said the council had arranged a contractor to make the tree safe and check others nearby.

The tree is managed by VicRoads, a Department of Transport spokesman confirmed.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends impacted by this tragic incident,” he said in a statement on Saturday. “The Department of Transport is working closely with Victoria Police to investigate the factors that contributed to the incident.”

The accident follows several deaths and near-misses due to falling trees this year.

In July, a father and son were killed after a large gum tree fell on their car as they were driving in Sherbrooke during strong winds.

A month later Melbourne mum Angie Suryadi died when a tree fell on her car on the Black Spur highway in Fernshaw as her family embarked on a snow trip.

Her two young sons and husband Arnold Adiatiasvara were also injured.

Respected university professor and mother of two Allison Milner was also killed in August when an elm planted in 1913 fell on her as she walked on a footpath on her way to the University of Melbourne.

Last month three primary schoolgirls were taken to hospital after being hit by a falling branch outside a Parkdale church.

-AAP