A huge branch of a beech tree fell onto Harboro Road in Sale near the junction with Moss Lane on Wednesday, July 1, causing traffic to come to a standstill. Despite the branch landing across the pavement and the road, no injuries were reported.
Incident Details
The incident occurred earlier today, with pictures showing one limb from the tree sheering away and blocking both the pavement and the road. A resident reported that a motorist was left in shock as the branch crashed onto the road just in front of their vehicle.
Tree surgeons arrived on site this afternoon and chopped up the branch before disposing of it. Traffic was moving freely on Harboro Road by 3.30pm.
Community Reaction
Members of the Sale M33 Facebook group expressed shock at the incident. One wrote: "It really was sheer luck nobody was killed or injured." Another said: "Wow I was lucky, passed there both ways an hour and half ago."
Previous Fatal Incident
In April, the Manchester Evening News reported an inquest into the death of Jen Higgins, 49, a PR firm boss who was killed when a huge branch of a severely decayed mature beech tree fell on her as she walked with her husband in West Didsbury on August 30 last year. The inquest revealed the tree had been pruned 15 to 20 years previously, leading to unseen decay that left the wood 'almost like tissue paper'. A third of the canopy of the tree fell away.
