UK weather: Storm Henk claims second victim with woman, 87, killed when car crashed into fallen tree
STORM Henk has claimed its second victim after a woman died when her car smashed into a fallen tree. The horror crash happened on Tuesday as 94mph winds were ripping through the UK[1].
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A man in his 50s was killed in Gloucestershire after a tree toppled onto two cars on TuesdayCredit: BBC
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Cops are now investigating after a woman died in a horror smash the same day
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A man also rescued a child from a submerged car in BirminghamCredit: BirminghamLive/BPM
Tragically an 87-year-old woman died as a result of the smash – just hours after a man in his 50s was killed in another crash. The devastating news comes as more weather warnings[2] have been put in place today for parts of the UK – with Brits being urged not to travel.
Tuesday’s fatal crash unfolded near Goring on the B4526 near the junction with Eastfield Lane at around 5.25pm. Cops are now urging witnesses to come forward to help with their probe. The police watchdog is also looking into the smash as cops received a number of calls about the fallen tree about an hour and a half before the woman died.
Senior investigating officer Sergeant Dominic Mahon, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Sadly, a woman has died following this collision and our thoughts are with her loved ones. “We would like to appeal for anyone that witnessed the collision, or saw the car prior to it, to contact us. “We would also ask any drivers with a dash-camera who were in the area at the time to check their recordings and let us know if it has captured anything that could help our investigation.
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“Get in touch by calling 101 or via our website, quoting reference number 43240002053.” The wild weather caused chaos on Tuesday.
Dozens of homes in Loughborough, Leicestershire were breached or surrounded by floodwater. The same day a man in his 50s was killed on the A433 in Gloucestershire after a tree toppled onto two cars. A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said at the time: “The man was on his own in the car.
“There was a car driving behind this vehicle at the time which collided with the tree after it had fallen. “But I believe the occupants only suffered minor injuries.” The wild weather is yet to calm, with Brits told today to take care.
Forecaster have warned more heavy rain is on the way while many parts of the UK are still reeling from the aftermath of Storm Henk. A yellow weather alert is in place today and 269 flood warnings are also set up and down the country. And social media has been overwhelmed with videos of flooded homes, with people wading through the brown water.
MORE TRAVEL CHAOS
The rain warning, which covers much of the south of England[3] is in place from midday today until 3am tomorrow.
The wet weather is causing even more travel chaos after many trains were cancelled yesterday. Rail passengers heading for south-west England have been warned to start their journeys before 3pm due to likely flooding. Great Western Railway (GWR) said customers travelling by rail to Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall should leave as soon as possible, with services likely to be delayed or cancelled later on Thursday.
In a statement, the firm said: “With further flood warnings in place and the amount of rain forecast, Network Rail has identified key sites in Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall as being at risk of flooding from around 1500. Trains may not be able to operate through these areas.” Services between Paddington and Swindon will operate but may be affected by flooding elsewhere, the firm added.
GWR said customers with tickets for later services on Thursday could use them on earlier trains. It comes after forecasters warn there could be “power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses”. They say Brits should expect flooding and damage to some buildings – which will “lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures”.
The heavy rain also means “there is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads”.