SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. – She may have some minor injuries and damage to the front end of her car, but one Georgia driver is lucky to be alive Monday.
As Tropical Storm Irma buffeted the state with heavy winds and rain, Michael Head was driving along Highway 92, trying to get home when the tree fell, nearly crushing the white Lexus SUV in front of him. Dashcam video from Head’s car shows the driver of the Lexus brake, but fail to avoid colliding with the large trunk suddenly blocking the road.
The impact sent the SUV’s rear axle into the air, leaving just the front two wheels on the ground. After the Lexus’ rear end slammed back down onto the pavement, smoke appeared to pour from the car.
“She was shaken, but OK,” Head told WXIA. “I think she was more scared about the fraction of a second of what could have happened.”
Several deaths have been attributed to falling trees toppled by the storm, according to WXIA, which also knocked out power to over a million customers in the state and prompted a tropical storm warning.
“If she had been looking at the radio or on her phone, it would have been a different story,” Head said. “She was very lucky…I was very lucky to get my truck stopped!”
On Monday, Georgia officials urged people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
“If you must travel, travel slowly, take your time,” the Spalding County Sheriff’s Department posted on Facebook. “Be aware of power lines that may go down and assume that all downed lines no matter their size or your belief of what type they may be, are live and can hurt you.”
