Moment father escapes unscathed after huge tree smashes into his windscreen during Storm Darragh

Published: 15:31, 9 December 2024 | Updated: 16:28, 9 December 2024

This is the dramatic moment a father-of-two had a miraculous escape when three trees crushed his BMW while he was driving during Storm Darragh.

Jai Harman, 39, from Brighton [2], was travelling on the A44 near Ponterwyd in Ceredigion, Mid Wales, on Saturday morning when the trees fell onto his car.

One fell onto his bonnet and another took the roof off - with the force of the falling trees also shattering his driver's side window, meaning he could escape.

It comes as train services remained disrupted today following Storm Darragh with several lines closed due to fallen trees and debris, as the clean-up continues.

Martial arts expert Mr Harman, from Brighton, said it was a 'miracle that I'm alive' after two other men were killed in the storm in different areas on the same day.

He said: 'They hit the bonnet with the spike going into the bonnet. One landed on the roof and went through the back window. One took my boot off my car.

'The driver side window shattered and glass went across me.

It was the window I had to climb out of. It was like something out of Final Destination.'

Mr Harman had been helping some friends in Cardigan but had to drive back to Rugby on Saturday at about 9.30am because he is a carer for his father.

Jai Harman, 39, had been travelling on the A44 near Ponterwyd in Ceredigion on Saturday

The video shows the dramatic moment three trees fell onto his car during Storm Darragh

One of the trees fell onto Mr Harman's car's bonnet and another took the roof off

Mr Harman filmed from inside his car after the incident during Storm Darragh on Saturday

He was halfway into his journey at the time, saying: 'I was driving at around 40mph on a 50mph road. The car in front slowed down to go round some broken branches.

'I went about 5mph when the tree actually hit.

They uprooted and fell over. It just happened all at once and the car came to a dead stop.'

Residents in a house nearby saw the incident happened and came out to help Mr Harman, whose car was written off by the accident.

He added that he was glad to be alive and relieved that his wife and kids - five and 15 - were not in the car with him at the time.

Although he felt he did not have a choice but to travel over the weekend, Mr Harman said he would pay more attention to serious weather warnings next time. He added: 'I didn't give it the respect that I should have done.'

The first victim of Storm Darragh, who was killed after a tree fell on to his van in Lancashire, was named locally as football coach Paul Fiddler.

Mr Fiddler, who was in his 40s, was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dash-cam footage from Mr Harman's BMW car, which captured the trees falling onto it

Mr Harman's BMW car was crushed by falling trees during Storm Darragh on Saturday

Martial arts expert Mr Harman, from Brighton, said it was a 'miracle that I'm alive'

Mr Harman's BMW car was crushed by falling trees during Storm Darragh on Saturday

The second person killed was Kher Hussain Shahin, 56, who died when a tree fell and hit his car in the Erdington area of Birmingham on Saturday just after 4pm.

Separately, Dorset Police were working to identify the remains of a man whose body was found on Worth Mattravers beach near Swanage during the storm at 11am yesterday.

The fourth named storm of the season brought strong gusts to many parts of the UK over the weekend, with tens of thousands of people still without electricity this morning.

Winds will gradually ease with noticeably less rainfall by Wednesday but temperatures will stay in the single figures, the Met Office has said.

More than 120 flood alerts and 35 flood warnings were in place this morning, with warnings that water levels on the River Severn will remain high until Wednesday.

Passengers were warned to expect cancellations and delays to train services on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Scotland early today.

Mr Harman had been helping some friends in Cardigan but had to drive back to Rugby

The force of the falling trees shattered his driver's side window, meaning he could escape

Residents in a house nearby saw the incident happened and came out to help Mr Harman

The car was written off by the incident which happened during the storm on Saturday

Mr Harman's BMW car was crushed by falling trees during Storm Darragh on Saturday

Great Western Railway said passengers should 'not attempt to travel' between Swansea and Carmarthen until at least noon, or on the Looe, St Ives and Gunnislake branch lines in Cornwall until at least 11am today.

Transport for Wales said all railway lines were blocked on 11 routes, such as between Swansea and Milford Haven, between Swansea and Shrewsbury, between Birmingham International and Shrewsbury, and between Chester and Holyhead.

Chris Baughan, Network Rail's West Coast South route operations manager, said: 'Storm Darragh has wreaked havoc on the railway this weekend and we are very sorry to passengers for the disruption to train services this morning on the West Coast Main Line as frontline teams continue with emergency repairs and the clean-up.'

The Energy Networks Association said 66,000 customers were without power at 8am this morning.

It added that the weather conditions meant it was 'too dangerous for engineers to safely work' in some locations over the weekend.

A car park is flooded today after the River Severn burst its banks in Shrewsbury

Damage to a vehicle today after a cedar tree fell in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

A riverside pub pumps out water today after the River Severn burst its banks in Shrewsbury

Flooding in York today where the River Ouse has burst its banks after Storm Darragh

A car park is flooded today after the River Severn burst its banks in Shrewsbury

The West Midlands Showground is flooded today after the River Severn burst its banks

Flooding along the River Ouse in York today after Storm Darragh brought severe weather

A children's play area is flooded today after the River Severn burst its banks in Shrewsbury

Flooding along the River Ouse in York today after Storm Darragh brought severe weather

Damage to a vehicle today after a cedar tree fell in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Worcestershire cricket ground is flooded today after the River Severn burst its banks

Porth Wen Solar Farm in North Wales, pictured today after being damaged by Storm Darragh

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE) said 1,500 homes remained without power early today following 'extensive damage to the network caused by Storm Darragh'.

In a statement NIE said: 'The company estimates that the vast majority of customers will be restored this evening with potential that small pockets will remain off supply into Tuesday.'

The highest wind gusts were 96mph, recorded at Berry Head in Devon on Saturday.

Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said: 'Storm Darragh has now moved its way off towards the south east, so things are going to start to settle down over the next couple of days.

'But it is still going to remain quite blustery, especially for south and south east of England, for the next day at least.'

A Poundland shop window came crashing down on a woman in Birmingham on Saturday

The Poundland window hit the woman outside in Kings Heath, Birmingham, on Saturday

The Environment Agency has 120 flood alerts (in amber) and 35 warnings (in red) in England

Cloud towards the South East will bring the chance of localised, potentially heavy showers but these should move through quickly, Mr Eslick said.

Much of the rest of the country further north will see calmer winds and plenty of sunshine due to an area of high pressure moving in, but will feel chilly with highs in the mid to low single figures.

Any remaining winds will die down by tomorrow, with the exception of areas around the English Channel and southern coast.

There will again be longer sunny spells developing in northern parts of the country while cloud will settle across Wales and southern England, but temperatures will widely remain low.

Some widespread fog will develop under clear skies in the north overnight into Wednesday morning and could be slow to clear.

References

^ MARK DUELL (www.dailymail.co.uk)
^ Brighton (www.dailymail.co.uk)