Uber driver injured after tree falls on car in Southamptonhttps://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/251949 ... uthampton/
An Uber driver was inches from being seriously injured after a tree fell on his car while driving on one of Southampton's busiest roads.
Sujoy Saha miraculously walked away from the wreck after a tree came crashing down onto his Toyota Corolla as he was driving on The Avenue on Monday afternoon.
Left shaken from the ordeal, the 38-year-old, who lives in Southampton, escaped with a stiff neck and sore shoulder and said that he “couldn’t sleep” due to the shock.
He is now unable to work with the car he uses to make his living having been written-off.
Speaking to the Echo, Sujoy, who was driving his friend Maher at the time, said: “It sounded like a building was falling down.
“I was driving along as normal and all of a sudden, I heard this cracking sound and a second later the tree had fallen onto my bonnet.
“Had it have been a second later it would have landed on the windscreen and the situation could have been a lot worse.
“The tree was huge; there’s no way you could grab it with your bare hands.
“When I got out of the car my dashboard was lighting up, saying the door was open when it wasn’t, and we had to squeeze out of the car as the doors wouldn’t open the full way.”
At the time of the accident the Met Office reported wind gusts of up to 29mph in Southampton, with the weather overcast for much of Monday afternoon.
Sujoy paid more than £30,000 for his Toyota Corolla in November 2023 and has submitted a no-fault claim with his insurance company in the hope Southampton City Council will take responsibility for the fallen tree.
He said: “It’s a dangerous situation; The Avenue is always very busy with cars and joggers, what if the tree had fallen on someone?
“It shouldn’t have happened, and I think the council should have done more to prevent it, they should have cut the tree down earlier.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: “On Monday evening evening, at approximately 5:30pm, our Out of Hours team was alerted to a fallen tree on The Avenue, Southampton.
“This incident coincided with significant wind gusts/speeds. Our supervisor promptly attended the scene to assess the situation and ensure the area was made safe.
“Our Out of Hours team immediately contacted a tree surgeon to begin the removal process. We understand a car was damaged and will work with the individuals involved to resolve the issue.
“Yesterday, our dedicated teams were on-site to conduct a thorough investigation and remove the remaining logs and debris from the verges.
“We can confirm that this particular tree was last surveyed in July 2024 as per our risk management system."
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