By Nina Metz and Alexandra Chachkevitch, Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO –‘Chicago Fire’ actress Molly Glynn died Saturday, a day after she was hit by a falling tree while biking on a north suburban forest preserve trail, officials and Glynn’s husband said.

Glynn, who lived in Rogers Park, Illinois, was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. at Evanston NorthShore Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Glynn, 46, was riding her bike about 3 p.m. Friday with her husband, fellow theater actor Joe Foust, when the pair were caught in the fast-moving afternoon storm, Foust said in a Facebook message. Heavy winds uprooted a tree onto the path where she was riding in Erickson Woods near Northfield, authorities said.

Foust, 45, said he and Glynn would bike frequently together. On Friday, they were riding on their favorite biking trail, the North Branch, and were about 25 miles into the ride, heading south on the trail, when the weather suddenly changed around 3 p.m. as they approached Willow Road.

“It was harsh and quick,” said Foust, who has been married to Glynn for about four years.

Glynn, who was riding behind Foust, yelled that the two should take cover. A split second later, Foust said he heard a loud crack and saw a tree fall down behind him in the rear-view mirror of his bicycle. One of the branches hit Foust’s back, but he said he is doing fine.

He said Glynn wore a helmet.

Foust said it took the forest preserve police about 20 minutes before they found them. He said he tried calling 911 several times before he could get through, likely because of weather.
He said he believed a strong wind was responsible for uprooting the tree that killed his wife.

Foust said Glynn leaves behind two teenage boys, Chance, 17, and Declan, 13.

Foust, who first met Glynn at the Chicago Shakespeare theater in 1990s, described her as funniest, greatest person he has ever met.

“We really loved working together,” he said.

Glynn over the years has been a regular at some of Chicago’s most renowned theaters, including Steppenwolf, Writers, Next, Chicago Shakespeare, and Northlight, where she appeared in “Tom Jones” last winter. Her TV credits include “Boss” on Starz and NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” in which she played an emergency room doctor.

Chicago Tribune reporter Liam Ford contributed to this report.

Photo via WikiCommons

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