Wexford mum ‘escapes death’ after tree crashes into car window in freak accident

Christine McDermott was driving on the straight stretch of the Campile to New Ross road when a large branch smashed through her windscreen at 6.45pm on Thursday night.

“I was coming from Ramsgrange and went through Campile. It was after a bad bend. I was driving along and had my wipers on and a tree came straight through the window of the car.”

She heard a big smash and glass burst onto her hair and into her eyes.

“I didn’t even have time to swerve. It burst up all through the dashboard. I wasn’t going too fast because I’m a safe driver. I think I could see a car coming towards me.”

Christine slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the roadside.

She rang her partner, Anthony Lanigan who arrived from their home at Rathoe, Newtown.

“He came over in his van and another man pulled over to check on me. He rang the guards and the fire brigade came.”

Two fire tenders arrived at the scene.

“One fireman said do you realise how lucky you are?

"He said he has been in the fire service for 20 years and he never saw anyone survive something like that.”

Christine’s seven-seater Ford S-Max was a complete write-off and the insurance company she is with has told her they won’t cover its replacement as it was an act of nature.

The road was blocked off to traffic with diversions put in place.

“When the fireman came over and said ‘are you OK?’ it hit me. I started going into shock. I felt like there was glass in my eyes because they were stinging.”

An ambulance was called for but none was available for hours.

“I got water and flushed out my eyes. I asked about the ambulance but the guards said there was none en route.

"Luckily I wasn’t injured. The ambulance rang me two hours later when I was back home.”

The mother of two boys and three girls said she felt the need to tell people about her accident. “It could happen to anyone.”

Her next problem is sourcing a vehicle for her large family, but ultimately she is grateful to be alive.

“I literally escaped death. If I was going any faster it would have gone straight through me.

"The branch was lodged in the car. It didn’t hit me but it could have gone through me. Whatever way the wind picked up the tree its just smashed through the car.

"All that matters to me are my kids.”