Storm Austen: Poole man 'lucky to be alive' after falling tree crushes car

A man says he is "lucky to be alive" after a large oak tree came down during Storm Austen, crushing his car while he was inside it.

Pete Smith was waiting at a temporary traffic light in his black BMW 4-series in Swanage, Dorset, on Friday when the 75mph gusts blew down the 50ft oak tree.

The 63 year-old financier said he heard a "giant bang" and there was smashed glass and tree everywhere.

He flew into a "blind panic" as he could not get out of the car himself, but locals rushed to his aid and extracted him from the debris of the vehicle.

Mr Smith, from Poole, said: "I was sat in the car minding my own business and in a split second my whole world turned around.

"I heard a giant bang and all of a sudden the roof has caved in, the glass is smashed everywhere and this giant 50ft oak tree is straight down the centre of the car."

He came out of a daze to realise "I can’t get out of the car as it is just covered in tree", he said.

"I started to panic and all of a sudden a lot of people appeared out of nowhere.

"The guys got me out but the car was wrecked and I asked myself 'how did I get out of that without a bump or scratch?'

"I'm pretty shaken up about it."

His daughter, Loren Smith, said it was an "absolute miracle" that her father survived the incident, as he was just a few inches from certain death.

She said: "Dad managed to get out of the car without a single scratch.

"I honestly cannot put into words how lucky he is, and how grateful we are that he is still here with us.

"It could have been a completely different story, and that thought alone is terrifying."

Elsewhere in Dorset, a large sycamore tree which came down in Storm Austen crashed into a brand new £40,000 van outside a disabled woman's home.

David and Louise Lee heard a big bang at 11am on Friday and went outside to survey the destruction.

To their horror, their new Vauxhall Venture van was completely covered by the tree's trunk and branches.

They said the row of trees on Mallard Road in Bournemouth had become weakened over time, which had been reported to the local council.

Louise, who has had a foot amputated so relies on her van, said: “We are concerned for our lives, we have been complaining to the council for so many years, and they say there is nothing they can do.

“They say they won’t touch that tree because it's not dead wood but look it clearly is.

“It makes me so cross, it’s a danger to life and the council are not doing their job.

“So many children walk down here before and after school, it scares me.”

Louise’s husband David said: “The council refuse to acknowledge anything.

“It seems that lives don’t mean anything.

“We have been on and on at them, these trees will kill someone.

“It is a disgrace and if they do hit our homes, it will do so much damage.

“We are so afraid for our lives, it is such a dangerous place to live.”

BCP Council said even healthy trees fell in the storm due to the strong winds.

Cllr Andy Hadley, BCP Council Cabinet Member for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said: "Our teams are out clearing fallen trees and branches from roads, footpaths and open spaces and continue to do an incredible job in extremely challenging conditions caused by Storm Austen.

"We are prioritising public safety and access to properties and the highway. Any reports that are not emergencies will be dealt with over the coming days.

"We are sorry to hear of the reported damage to a resident's vehicle and urge everyone to take care during the storm.

"Trees do change over time and are always subject to the changing forces of nature.

"Sadly, even some perfectly healthy trees are liable to fall or be damaged during a storm."