Hazlemere woman ‘lucky to be alive’ after A404 crash with fallen tree

Susan Jamson, 75, was travelling to work with her daughter, who has down syndrome, on the A404 near Beamond End when the tree struck the cab. The driver managed to steady the vehicle which came to a halt around 50 yards in front of the fallen wood which caved in the roof and shattered the windscreen. Susan, Emma, 41, and the driver stayed put while they waited for emergency services to arrive on Wednesday morning (September 3).

But now the Hazlemere resident has said she feels 'incredibly' lucky after the trio came out of the incident mostly unscathed. Tree falls down on car on the A404 between Holmer Green and Amersham (Image: Supplied) She said: "I was actually on the phone to my other daughter and as we came around the corner I was still talking to her and suddenly I could see the tree coming down. "[The taxi driver] saw it and he hoped that he could get underneath it.

It completed shattered the windscreen so we were completely covered in glass. "Most of the stuff in the front of the car flew into the back of the car. We were just shocked really.

"It is almost unbelievable that a tree can fall on a road and onto a car. We are lucky to be alive. "I do feel as well that my taxi driver saved my life.

He was just amazing." Tree falls down on car on the A404 between Holmer Green and Amersham (Image: Supplied) National Highways attended and closed off the road as paramedics, police and the fire service also arrived. A tree surgeon was called in to clear the road following the incident at around 9am.

But now Susan is calling for more to be done to ensure the safety of the county's trees. She told the Free Press: "It could have been a lot worse. The car is written off, there is nothing they can do with it.

"There has been one a year now that has fallen down that road. It is just worrying because I don't know how much trees are looked after or watched. "My husband came to take a photo of it and [three tree had] split completely in two.

I think they should be looked at. "They are all overhanging. Many of them are very very old.

I really feel that they should be looking at them." "It's only a matter of time before another one comes down." Tree falls down on car on the A404 between Holmer Green and Amersham (Image: Supplied) The tree and damaged car were cleared shortly after the incident and the scene was handed over to Thames Valley Police to reopen the road.

The three people inside, including the male taxi driver, were able to escape the car without help.

Firefighters from High Wycombe attended the incident which took place on the main route connecting Holmer Green and Amersham.

References

1. ^ Beamond End road closure in Bucks after tree falls on car (www.bucksfreepress.co.uk)