Moment huge tree crashes down on top of queue of traffic and smashes through windscreen of Range Rover when freak 50mph 'mini tornado' hit Lincolnshire town
- Freak 50mph 'tornado' hit Stamford in Lincolnshire on Sunday morning
- A 30ft tree smashed into driver James Clark's Range Rover in the town
- Footage showed the tree precariously teetering before falling in 60mph gusts
This is the dramatic moment a large tree crashed down on top of a queue of traffic and smashed through the windscreen of a Range Rover.
A freak 50mph 'mini tornado' hit Stamford in Lincolnshire on Sunday morning as James Clark, 56, waited in a traffic jam at 11am.
Footage captured on Liz Cousens' dashcam camera showed a 30ft (9m) sycamore crash down on traffic in high winds along St Paul's Street in the town.
The heavy branches smashed through the windscreen of a Range Rover and the boot of a Vauxhall Corsa - narrowly missing both drivers by just inches.
The footage shows the tree precariously teetering in the 60mph winds before it eventually collapses from a garden in the direction of the waiting cars.
A freak 50mph 'mini tornado' hit Stamford in Lincolnshire on Sunday morning as James Clark (pictured), 56, waited in a traffic jam at 11am
Footage captured on Liz Cousens' dashcam camera showed a 30ft (9m) sycamore crash down on traffic in high winds along St Paul's Street in the town
Incredibly, the majority of the tree landed between two vehicles and both drivers were badly shaken but uninjured apart from a few cuts and bruises.
Mr Clark said: 'I could hear twigs on the roof first and somehow knew what was going to happen. I covered my head and face with my hands and the next thing a branch was through the windscreen.
'One minute I was listening to Justin Timberlake on Radio 1 and the next thing, this.
Share this article
'I was lucky. I was shaken up at first but I'm OK.'
Mr Clark suffered only a minor scrape to one of his hands and his left temple while the Corsa driver escaped unharmed following the freak storm.
Ms Cousens captured the terrifying near-miss while driving through Stamford with three other family members after travelling down from Stockport, in Greater Manchester,
The heavy branches smashed through the windscreen of a Range Rover and the boot of a Vauxhall Corsa - narrowly missing both drivers by just inches
University campus security officer Liz said: 'On the morning myself, my brother, my niece and her two-year-old daughter were in the car on our way to Stamford to go for brunch.
'We had commented on how excessively windy it had become, as all of the leaves on the grass were blowing everywhere, something we hadn't seen before.
'We had even said half way there, should we bother as the weather was so bad.
'But as I was visiting and don't get down as often as I would like, we carried on as thought it would be nice to spend some time together.
'Next thing we know this enormous tree came down at the front and then another followed right behind us.
'My niece said "it's definitely hit us" and in the first instance we were all worried about my niece's daughter, Bella, who was in her car seat in the back. We froze for a moment, then I got out, checked my car, realising it hadn't caused any damage.
Incredibly, the majority of the tree landed between two vehicles and both drivers were badly shaken but uninjured apart from a few cuts and bruises
'I spoke with a lady in the red car behind who was asking if anybody needed an ambulance, at this point I wasn't sure of the severity of the cars in front.
'My brother went to check the two cars that had been hit, luckily all occupants were out of their vehicles and had no severe injuries, just some cuts from their windscreens smashing.
'Once I had moved my car out of any further danger, I assisted the male in the vehicle in front which had been hit.
'Branches off the tree had hit his windscreen and come through near his head and missed him by just a couple of inches.
'The vehicle in front of him, again the rear windscreen had been smashed and narrowly missed backseat passengers.
'They were all extremely lucky to come away with no serious injuries, and the main bulk of the tree fell in between both cars.
'Another couple of inches either side and it could have been a very different story, for all of us.
'Looking at the footage afterwards, we just cannot believe it happened. All involved were extremely lucky.
'It certainly made us question everything, what if we had stopped here, or the driver didn't fail to give way in front. It was very scary and certainly an eye opener.'
