Taxi driver saves passengers from falling tree

Terry Williams accelerated towards a falling tree

Terry Williams reckons he's driven more than two million miles in his career as a private-hire driver.

He's driven in all sorts of weather conditions around the UK and Ireland, but this is the first time he's had to deal with part of a huge tree falling on his car.

"As we came round the bend we just saw this tree, literally falling in front of us. My instinct was that if I was to brake heavily I would hit the main parts of the tree, so in that split second I decided to accelerate.

"I was doing maybe 45mph when we hit the tree," Mr Williams said, describing the weather as "damp, but not windy".

"I couldn't see the tree or the branches, the windscreen shattered so badly. All I saw was a white light."

The tree section that fell on to the car has now been cut into logs

Minutes before, Terry had been to pick up his regular customer Emma Hill, 41, and her mum Susan Jamson, 75, from their home in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire to take them to work at Chickenshed youth theatre in Enfield.

As they rounded a sharp bend on the A404 at Holmer Green, Terry suddenly realised what was about to happen. Knowing he couldn't avoid the tree completely, he decided to speed up rather than slow down.

"I thought if I could accelerate fast enough the tree would land behind me.

"The tree threw me on to the other side of the road. I was 'snaking' but I decided not to brake heavily or turn the steering wheel because the car would've rolled over," he said.

Terry believes his years of experience saved him and his passengers.

"The mileage I've done, I've encountered people braking heavily, I've had people pulling out in front of me and doing things they shouldn't. My awareness of what's on the horizon and behind me means I'm always scanning."

Susan Jamson from Chickenshed youth theatre always asks for Terry to take her daughter Emma, who has Down syndrome, to work

Susan, who is the press and PR manager for Chickenshed, praised Terry's driving skills and speedy reaction.

"I've known Terry for about five years," she said. "He's always been a very calm and reassuring driver."

This is particularly important since her daughter Emma has Down syndrome, and as such has a higher risk of atlantoaxial instability (AAI), a condition where the top two vertebrae in the neck are unstable. Any driver taking Emma needs to take this into account to avoid causing injury.

The family has built up trust with Oakwood Cars in north London, and particularly Terry, who has been working there for 10 years.

"I've explained her condition to Terry and he completely understands," Susan said.

"I always ask for Terry because I know Emma's going to be safe."

Terry has worked for Oakwood cars for the past 10 years

The main trunk of the tree is still standing on the A404, now with a large gash where part of it broke away and fell on to the car.

Thomas Broom, Buckinghamshire Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for transport, told the BBC: "Following the report of the incident, council crews attended promptly to clear the site and make the road safe again.

"Buckinghamshire Highways carries out routine tree surveys across the county on a three-yearly cycle, this is supplemented by our routine highways safety inspections, which take into account any possible risks to the highways; this this can include third-party trees which could pose a risk to the highway.

"Should anyone have immediate concerns about safety we would ask that they report these to us using Fix My Street.

Reflecting on the crash, Terry thinks his younger days as a racing driver might have helped.

"When I was younger I used to do motor racing, so I've been involved in high-speed crashes."

He added: "It didn't faze me at all, really. I had a very strong car."

That car, a top-of-the-range Skoda Superb diesel model, has now been written off.

"I'm alive and that's the main thing. And luckily Susan and Emma are safe," Terry said.

That's something Susan agrees with.

"I'm amazed that's we're alive. If it wasn't for Terry we wouldn't be here."

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