Woman impaled by branch as tree falls in Wakefield

The woman was freed from the car by firefighters

A woman suffered serious injuries when she was impaled by the branch of a tree which smashed into her car in high winds.

Police said the tree crashed down on the outskirts of Wakefield on Thursday evening.

The incident blocked Aberford Road near the junction with Beaumont Street.

The woman was taken to nearby Pinderfields Hospital for treatment after being freed from the car. Another person was also hurt.

A police spokeswoman said officers were called to scene on the A642 - which is the main Wakefield to Rothwell route - just before 2030 GMT.

She said: "It looks like there are two injured parties - one seriously injured."

A West Yorkshire Fire Service spokeswoman described the seriously injured woman as having been "impaled" by a branch.

She said: "This was a tree fallen onto a car and one female, impaled by a branch, was extricated by fire service personnel and passed into the hands of the ambulance service."

The spokeswoman said three fire crews were called to the scene.