MLA's lucky escape after tree collision
LAGAN Valley MLA Basil McCrea has told of his lucky escape after his car struck a fallen tree less than a minute from his home.
Mr McCrea, 50, was travelling home on Sunday evening during a storm when he "came over the brow of a hill and had only that two-second gap before the car made contact with the fallen tree".
So much damage was caused to his car it has since been written off.
Mr McCrea, a failed contender for the UUP party leadership against Tom Elliott, said he knows he was lucky that he suffered only a black eye when a branch smashed through the front windscreen of his vehicle.
He said his car windscreen "completely shattered" upon impact with the tree's branches.
"I was very fortunate. I was only a minute from home and was lucky I didn't hit the tree harder than I did.
"The issue is that it happened about one minute from home and when you are so close you don't think anything is going to happen – but it did.
"As soon as I drove up the hill there was the tree lying, which was
totally unexpected.
"I think the issue is that you have to be prepared for the unexpected even when you are so close to home. What happened to me certainly does make you think."
Mr McCrea called for all motorists to "heed bad weather warnings and watch their speed".
He said: "When you hear bad weather warnings, you don't think it will affect you – but it can.
"You do have to watch your speed and think about the unexpected at all times."
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
