DEAR News Of The Area,
ON Wednesday, 14 October, my wife and I were travelling to Raymond Terrace on Seaham Road at around 2:40pm to pick up our granddaughter from school.
Travelling at 80kph near Jacaranda Grove Preschool, our car was struck from above by a huge branch approximately eight metres long.
Luckily – or not – only the last three metres of the branch hit the car.
Neither of us was injured, except being covered in glass. This was more noticeable on my wife’s side, as this copped the bulk of the impact.
This week we were informed the car had been written off as the damage was too severe.
Luckily, if you can say that, we were comprehensively insured and are now looking for another set of wheels.
With the recent spell of dry, unsettled weather, then rain and, on the day of our accident, heavy wind, something had to give.
On this day it was a very large part of a gum tree.
As this stretch of Seaham Road, and other parts, has numerous large trees, many hanging out over the centre of the road, I would suggest a Port Stephens Council-led mission, with the support of homeowners, to make safe these overhanging trees before it happens again – causing injuries or a fatality instead of damage to someone’s expensive machine.
I have mentioned Council as homeowners would not be able to accomplish the task safely and don’t have the necessary equipment or the authority to close sections of a road during the work.
Did I mention we were very lucky?
Regards,
Dave Donnelly,
Seaham.
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