Storm Bert: West Sussex family survive test drive tree crash

Warren Bell was test driving a Fiat Punto with his mother and six-year-old daughter in the vehicle when he suddenly had to swerve to the side of the road to avoid the falling tree.

Five Oaks Road in Slinfold was closed for hours on Sunday after strong winds from Storm Bert brought the tree crashing down in front of the  car.

Warren said was lucky to come out unscathed – but after the ordeal would be back to the dealership to buy a car.

Warren, 48, said: "It hasn't really sunk in yet. I swerved and braked as hard as I could - the tree missed us by millimetres."

Warren, centre, speaking to police following the crash (Image: Bunny Motors)

Passers-by rushed to help Warren and his family.

"If it had been a second later it could have been an entirely different story. The people of Horsham were absolutely fantastic and so were the police," he said.

Warren, from Horsham, said he had been test driving the Fiat for his mother, sat in the passenger seat, and had his six-year-old daughter was in the car with him.

The tree was uprooted in front of the car during high winds and came crashing down in front of them.

Warren swerved off the road to avoid the tree, which clipped the passenger side rather than coming crashing down onto the roof.

After speaking to emergency services and ensuring his family was alright, he sprinted half a mile back to the dealership to alert them to what had happened.

Sussex Police closed Five Oaks Road on Sunday following the crash. The road has since re-opened.

Paul Chinnery, owner of Bunny Motors in Slindon, said: “I’m so relieved they came out unscathed, it could have been so totally different.

“He came running down the road completely out of breath and all he could say was ‘tree’.

“The tree would have hit the passenger compartment. I think it’s beginning to sink in how lucky they were.”

The damaged Fiat Punto (Image: Bunny Motors) The incident comes after Storm Bert wreaked havoc across the country. Multiple outdoor events were cancelled and scaffolding crashed down across Sussex following a Met Office yellow weather warning for wind.

Paul, who has run Bunny Motors for more than 20 years, said he had never seen anything like it in his time as a car salesman and the family was “very fortunate” to come away unscathed.