Tree crashes down on cars

The two men had clambered out of their cars, which were virtually hidden by the tree's branches, by the time emergency services arrived at the scene in Walsall.

Initial reports suggested one of the cars – which was waiting in Norton Road, Pelsall, at its junction with Vicarage Road at around 2.30pm on Saturday – had been crushed and the air ambulance was scrambled, but later stood down.

Eyewitness Mark Boorman said the two men were very shaken by the incident but amazingly unhurt.

He said: "I had just walked past the junction and had my back to the two cars when I suddenly heard this massive thud.

"When I looked around all I could see was part of a massive tree lying across the two vehicles and my immediate thought was it was very serious.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw the two drivers getting out of the cars as I felt they must have been badly hurt. My immediate thought was of the incident 17 years ago, just yards away, where the bus driver was killed."

In February 1990, during high winds, bus driver Trevor Griffin was killed after a tree smashed through the windscreen of the double-decker he was driving along Norton Road.

An inquest revealed the 50-year-old had no time to brake. His chest was crushed by the tree which pinned him in his cab and he died from internal injuries.

Police closed the road on Saturday while paramedics checked over the two men while firefighters using lifting gear removed the tree from the two cars before a recovery vehicle arrived to take them away. Watch commander Richard Cooper, of Aldridge fire station, said both drivers were very lucky to escape serious injury.

"They have been very lucky," he said. "When we first arrived we could hardly see the cars and I couldn't believe someone said they had already clambered free." Walsall Council has been informed about the incident and is investigating.