Tree strikes car and forces Tewkesbury Way closure

This Is Wiltshire: The damaged car is taken away on a trailer following the incident The damaged car is taken away on a trailer following the incident

VEHICLES were gridlocked in West Swindon this afternoon after a 25-metre-high tree fell across Tewkesbury Way and struck a car before blocking both carriageways.

The tree fell between the Mannington and Toothill roundabouts, close to the footbridge which crosses Tewkesbury Way and connects Westlea with Toothill.

The incident was logged by Wiltshire Police at 1.51pm and forced a full closure of the road in both directions between the roundabouts until 3.30pm.

Neither the driver nor the one passenger in the car, believed to be a blue MG ZS, were reported as hurt. The married couple were reportedly in their 50s.

The car was in transit when the tree struck. It fell and struck the bonnet of the car first, before ricocheting onto the roof due to the momentum of the vehicle.

The windscreen was put through, the driver's wing mirror broken and panels damaged on the car.

The tree was rotten and considered unstable by police officers at the scene. It is thought the high winds and saturated ground have contributed to the fall.

Swindon Council was called to the scene of the incident, where their team chopped the tree into smaller pieces and carted it away before reopening the short stretch of road.


About cookies


I agree