Women’s lucky escape as tree falls on their car

TWO women had a lucky escape after stormy weather on Thursday afternoon caused a tree to topple onto their car in Glenealy.

The women were passing through Glenealy on their way home to Rathdrum when severe winds resulted in a large tree collapsing on top of their vehicle, crushing the roof of the car.

The accident occurred just before the entrance to the village, on the Rathnew side.

Fortunately, the car’s roof took the majority of the impact but the weight of the tree caused it to collapse into the vehicle, pinning both women inside of the car.

The tree subsequently rolled off the car but the two women were left trapped inside.

Fire Service crews from Wicklow town and Rathdrum were alerted to the incident at 3 p.m. and immediately made their way to the scene.

The two casualties had to be cut out of the vehicle. Both women were distressed after their ordeal but neither received any serious injuries. However, they were still taken to St Vincent’s Hospital by ambulance.

The car was left a complete write-off.

A spokesperson for Wicklow Fire Services, said: ‘The accident could have been a lot worse and both people inside the car were fortunate not to sustain significant injuries.’

High-winds on Thursday resulted in Wicklow County Council issuing a warning urging people to avoid unnecessary journeys during the stormy conditions. While violent gusts were experienced within the area covered by Wicklow Municipal District, the damage caused was minimal compared to other parts of the country.