Lucky escape for Aviemore taxi driver after tree crashes onto Grampian Road
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A taxi driver has described how she had a lucky escape after a huge tree fell onto Aviemore's main road just metres from her vehicle.
Loretta Steward, who works for Aviemore Taxis, was just pulling out of the forecourt of the BP garage onto Grampian Road when the tree toppled over in the strong gusts brought this evening by Storm Corrie.
She said it had been quite a shock but otherwise was none the worse for the incident.
She told the Strathy a short time ago: "I was at the garage and just about to pull out when the tree fell over. There was myself and another motorist who was going in the other direction.
"There was no noise whatsoever and it happened pretty quickly; it just went down.
"I must have been around 20 metres away when it fell into the garage's sign which has suffered some damage.
"The staff at the garage called the police straight-away and they were here within two or three minutes.
"There was no warning that the tree was coming down whatsoever. I was very lucky that I was not going past at the time."
The tree was toppled as gusts blew in excess of 50mph in Aviemore in driving rain.
It appears that there were two main tree trunks bound together unearthed on Strathspey Lawn, also known as the Four Seasons Lawn, by the centre of Aviemore.
The trunks were blocking the main road and the branches spread out blocking the entrance into the garage's forecourt.
They also extended towards the Highland Hospice charity shop.
A police vehicle with blue flashing lights was stationed on the village centre side of the tree by the Aviemore resort brae to warn motorists of the danger.
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed that no-one had been injured in the incident which occurred at around 8.30pm.
With Storm Corrie pounding the strath, Aviemore's main road was relatively quiet for a Sunday evening.
Staff at the BP garage alerted the police immediately after the tree had crashed down.
Fragments of the top of the electronic BP sign fell to the ground on the forecourt around 20 minutes after the tree had hit it as the strong gusts continued.
BP staff referred further inquiries from the Strathy to the company's headquarters.
