Man dies after tree falls onto car near Winchester during Storm Bert

Yellow weather warnings for wind and rain have been in place in Hampshire and other counties

The tragedy happened on the A34
Author: Jonny FreemanPublished 23rd Nov 2024
Last updated 24th Nov 2024

A man has died near Winchester after a tree fell onto his car during Storm Bert.

Emergency services were called to the southbound side of the A34 between Kings Worthy and Winnall at around 7.47am on Saturday morning (23rd November 2024).

A driver of a black Mercedes E350 - a man in his 60s - died at the scene.

The man's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist Hampshire Police officers.

A silver Skoda Kodiaq was also damaged but no other injuries were reported.

Hampshire Police have thanked motorists for their patience as a lane closure was put in place for a number of hours.

They want to speak to anyone with information about this incident and particularly anyone with relevant dash cam footage.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference 44240510454 - or to visit Hampshire Police's website.

Fatal collisions

Two other fatal collisions happened while the storm took hold in England.

West Yorkshire Police said a 34-year-old man died in a single-vehicle collision in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The incident took place at 12.59am on Moorhead Lane in Shipley at the junction with Beechwood Grove.

Officers found a blue Renault Captur, which had been travelling towards Saltaire, had collided with a wall.

It is unclear if the incident was related to Storm Bert but it is understood the road was not affected by ice.

Meanwhile in Northamptonshire, a man in his 40s died in a crash on the A45 near Flore.

Northamptonshire Police said the collision, at around 8.20am on Saturday, involved a silver Toyota Corolla and a dark grey Hyundai i30 Active.

It is not clear whether the incident was linked to the storm.

In Wales, the A40 was closed due to a fallen tree, impacting road users from Sennybridge to Brecon, according to Dyfed-Powys Police.

Five adults and five children had to be rescued from a house in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen in north Wales, following a landslide, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said.

Rail operators cancelled services on some routes all day on Saturday and urged passengers to check their routes before making journeys.

Avanti West Coast cancelled its service between Edinburgh and Carlisle all day on Saturday with the next direct service from Carlisle not scheduled to run until Sunday afternoon.

Train journeys to and from Manchester Piccadilly were disrupted on Saturday evening as flooding between Macclesfield and Stoke-on-Trent blocked some lines.

Without power

Thousands of homes were without power on Saturday as strong winds tore down power lines. Northern Powergrid said 27,000 customers were affected in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.

In a post on X on Saturday evening, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: "My thoughts are with all those affected by Storm Bert.

"For those who have lost power, my department will be keeping in close touch with the energy companies as they seek to ensure it is restored as swiftly as possible and help those affected."

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