The fallen tree that crushed four cars near Berkel-Enschot during storm Ciarán had an unfortunate history with passing traffic. Last summer a driver lost control and hit the same tree and did not survive.
The same tree crushed four cars on Thursday, but miraculously no one was seriously injured. One driver was able to leave the car himself but had a serious head injury. He has been taken to hospital.
“I heard a huge bang and immediately went outside.”
Ingrid Roets near the N65 where it all happened. “I heard a huge bang and immediately went outside. I was afraid that someone had crashed into a tree again, just like last summer. Things often go wrong on this road.”
“When I came outside, I saw the devastation,” says Ingrid. “I mobilized everyone to help and alerted the emergency services. A driver was trapped. He was also eventually freed and had nothing at all. It’s really unbelievable that it turned out like this.”
“This tree was on fire just like the car and driver.”
Stress strikes Ingrid and her neighbors with every bang. “This is a dangerous road with all those trees. Last summer a car hit the same tree that has now blown down. The car with the driver caught fire. The tree also caught fire. The tree was the only one to survive the impact and now it lies over the away.”
Accidents happen often on this N65, Ingrid knows. “We have complained about it before. But nothing has changed. Now nature has given us a helping hand, but this could have turned out very differently.”
READ ALSO:
Boom crushes Ad’s car, but he can live to tell: ‘I was able to crawl out’
Tilburger (51) dies after colliding with a tree