Ripon Road tree fall: Postman's lucky escape after collapse

Adam Wilson was seconds from disaster when the tree fell down in Ripon Road in Ronkswood while he was out on his rounds.

The 40-year-old dad-of-three from Warndon, who described himself as 'the luckiest postman alive', said in another 15 seconds he would have been standing directly underneath the falling tree.

BLOCKED: The fallen tree completely blocked Ripon Road which runs parallel to Newtown Road in Ronkswood, Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

The huge branches struck the post box in Ripon Road when it fell on Thursday morning (March 21).

It was only a mix-up with the mail which meant he had to double back towards nearby Newtown Road, stopping him from being squashed as the tree fell.

Once it had fallen, the colossal tree completely blocked Ripon Road near the junction with Canterbury Road as tree surgeons used chainsaws and a JCB with a grab arm to clear the road.

FAST: K.W. Boulton Tree Care Specialists made short work of the fallen tree in Ripon Road in Ronkswood, Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Mr Wilson, who has only been in the job 12 weeks, was crossing Canterbury Road towards the post box when he saw and heard the tree come down with a 'boom'.

"I feel like I had a lucky escape. I've had two people tell me to go and buy a lottery ticket and a Chinese lady told me I was very lucky.

"If there had not been that mix-up with the mail the tree would have got me."

CLOSE: Pamela May and her dog Freya near the fallen tree in Ripon Road in Ronkswood - the 75-year-old sometimes sat on the fence crushed by the tree (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Matt Reynolds was passing by when the tree fell.

He said: "Me and my dad had just pulled off from the traffic lights heading towards town along Newtown road when we heard this almighty crash.

ROOT: Worcestershire County Council Highways workers examine the fallen tree in Ripon Road in Ronkswood in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

"You could hear the roots rip out the ground. We were just lucky that we were not under the tree when it collapsed but we were very close to it when it happened. A little too close for our liking."

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At one stage a police car on blue lights was parked across the junction.

The tree also came near to gas supply equipment on the grass and an engineer checked it was safe before contractors from K.W. Boulton Tree Care Specialists moved in to clear the road.

Keith Boulton, director of the company, estimated the mature oak tree was 250 to 300 years old.

FAST: K.W. Boulton Tree Care Specialists make sort work of the clear up operation in Ripon Road in Ronkswood in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Worcestershire County Council confirmed they arranged for an arboricultural contractor to remove the tree.

Pamela May, 75, of Durham Road, Ronkswood regularly sits on the wooden fence in Ripon Road which was demolished by the falling tree.

Jon Barras, 57, of Ripon Road said: "A truck backed into it. This happens regularly. It gets hit around twice a month. It's a shame. It's one more tree gone. Coppicing might have helped. I just wish I had a wood burner," he said.

He said other trees had been taken away to make way for the bus lane in Newtown Road.