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Passenger's lucky escape as tree kills van man
Rashid Razaq14 Aug 2008
This is the scene after a driver was killed when a tree fell on his van, narrowly missing a passenger who slumped in his seat seconds before the impact.
Another motorist said he was "lucky to be alive" when his BMW was crushed by the large tree which blew on to a busy south London road.
Near gale force winds uprooted the tree on Clapham Common South Side at around 2pm yesterday.
The Ford Transit driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His passengers, a 47-year-old man and 20-year-old man, were cut from the wreckage with minor injuries.
One of them, thought to be a builder, is said to have narrowly escaped when he moved in his seat before the tree hit.
Paul Abreu, 30, of Mitcham, who was driving the BMW in the opposite direction to the van, said: "I'm lucky to be alive." One nearby office worker said: "I heard an almighty crash and I ran to the window and saw the tree was lying in the road. It was chaos. People were standing around watching."
Residents overlooking Clapham Common claim the fallen tree was a hazard and should have been cut down.
Andrew Kennedy, 58, who has lived in the area for over 20 years, said: "It has been dead for 15 years. It was an accident waiting to happen. The tree was obviously dead and should have been dealt with. It just couldn't cope with the wind."
Transport for London, which is responsible for the safety of trees along the road, said they are maintained regularly and that an investigation will be launched, with other trees checked.
A spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who was tragically killed and also with the people who were injured." The Met Office said near gale force winds of up to 45mph moved in over London from the South Coast.
A forecaster said: "There were very strong, gusty winds and rain in the mid-afternoon. Trees are full of leaves at this time of year so are more likely to be uprooted.
"The weather will remain unsettled for the rest of the week, but we have seen the worst of the strong winds. It may get blustery with heavy showers, but there won't be gale force winds."
Reader views (8)
A10 North London between the Cambridge roundabout and the M25 there are several dead Chestnuts lining this busy red route. They've been there for at least six years.
TFL say they are scheduled to be done?
They seem more interested closing the outside lane once a month in the early hours to paper pick the central reservation.
- Darren, London, 04/09/2008 11:18
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Our deepest sympathy to all the family.
- Maggie & Mick Flockton, London, UK., 17/08/2008 17:54
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My condolences to the family and the survivors, it was a terrible day. What makes it worse is that this is something that could have been avoided and should have been.
2 people this year have been killed by neglected trees on tfl red routes. When are they going to actually put all this money they are making, (PCN's, camera enforcement, congestion charge,) back into maintaining the roads they have taken responsibility for.
London is a great city built long ago and left to us by those that have come before. So many great things were put in place that our generation neglects. What are we passing on?
Do disasters have to happen before the people in power realise it is more 'cost effective' to pro-actively maintain the basic systems of this city than to skimp and save and let it all fall apart to the point that driving to work is a dodgums of falling trees, collapsing walls, roads and flash floods that the blocked drains can't handle.
- Simon, London, 15/08/2008 14:40
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This is the second tree to have killed someone this year. You would think that Transport for London would have increased its checks on dangerous trees, but obviously not.
- Peter, London, 14/08/2008 21:31
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My deepest sympathy to the family of the driver.
- Brian, Wiltshire, 14/08/2008 16:57
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Firstly my condolences to the family(s) who have suffered this bereavement and also a speedy recovery to the injured survivors.
My office is located opposite the common also and only 250 yards away from this horrific incident.
Regards,
- Meher Nawab, Clapham Common , London United Kingdom, 14/08/2008 15:05
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What a way to be remembered as a "van man"!
- Nick, London, 14/08/2008 14:53
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I used to live a couple hundred yards from where this horrible incident occurred. The old gnarled trees in front of the Windmill Pub have been visibly rotten for years, and certainly should have been removed ages ago. My condolences.
- Yvonne, Doncaster, UK, 14/08/2008 11:50
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