Lucky escape for taxi driver after fallen tree causes Mersey commuter chaos
Frustrated travellers experienced long delays after the tree blocked the road in both directions
A fallen tree on Arrowe Park road, Wirral near Landican cemetery
A taxi driver and his passenger had a lucky escape after a tree fell during high winds this morning.
The tree crashed down onto Arrowe Park Road near to the entrance to Landican Cemetery shortly after 7:30am.
It narrowly missed crushing the taxi - but still cracked the windscreen and damaged the bumper and bonnet.
Abbey Cars driver Andrew Wilson, 47, from Pensby as taking his passenger to work at Scottish Power.
The taxi driver of 13 years said: “I was driving along and the next moment I saw this tree. I thought ‘that’s shaking a lot in the wind’, but it wasn’t, it was coming down right in front of me.
“I slammed the brakes on and I slid into it.
“It could’ve been a lot worse. It was a lucky escape.”
Both driver and passenger escaped uninjured but the fallen tree had completely blocked the road.
Traffic quickly built up on surrounding roads including Woodchurch Road and commuters took to social media to report long delays on public transport.
One said: “There’s a tree over. Been in traffic for 45 mins.”
Another added: “if there’s a tree on the road, get me a bus now.” And a commuter tweeted Merseytravel saying: “Are you serious, your bus services are going white over a tree.”
Bus services 471/472 were diverted via Greasby, and Merseytravel reported severe delays to all services in the Arrowe Park area.
Police closed Arrowe Park Road from 8:05 and council workers from the Highways Agency were on the scene shortly afterwards to clear the tree away.
The road reopened shortly before 10am.
Merseyside have experienced high winds and stormy weather throughout this morning, with a yellow weather warning in place for snow and gale force winds - of up to 50mph in places- expected.
The Runcorn Bridge had been closed to high sided vehicles.
http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/news/local- ... es-8531695
