The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Spalding driving instructor is counting himself lucky after a huge tree was blown down into the road just feet in front of his car.
Paul Smith, of LDC Driving School, was on his own as the tree fell across Priory Road, Spalding, near the old Johnson Hospital. He captured the incident on dashcam footage as he drove from Spring Gardens on Thursday (Feb 23) morning.
He said: “As I came around the corner I saw two branches near the bottom of the tree break off and I thought ‘that’s going to come down’.
“Then, the very next moment, the whole thing did. Two or three branches landed on my car.
“I was very lucky because when a tree like that comes down on a car there’s only ever one winner.”
Mr Smith, who had earlier spotted a fallen tree in London Road, had just dropped off a learner driver when the drama in Priory Road happened at 11.40am.
He said: “As I came past The Fitness Centre (in Spring Gardens) I saw a lamppost lying on the side of the road, which might have been blown down, and a policewoman was in the doorway. You can see her in the dashcam footage.
“Then when the tree came down, she came running past me and went to the tree to check if there was anyone under it. She gave me the thumbs up and I did the same to say I was OK.”
Mr Smith (50), who has been a driving instructor for ten years, posted on Facebook: “All in the day of a driving instructor!
“Feeling very lucky that I managed to stop before I became a pancake due to this tree falling in Spalding this morning – thanks Doris! Need a strong coffee or something a little stiffer!”
See the dashcam footage on our Facebook page.
