Storm Isha: Crossroads family has lucky escape as van cushions falling tree inches from home

A family had a lucky escape on Sunday evening when a tree fell just inches from their home at Crossroads, Killygordon.

A parked van at the house cushioned the fall of a tree, uprooted by Storm Isha having stood for well over 100 years, and prevented it from tearing through their home.

Four members of the Doherty family were playing a game of darts as Storm Isha struck.

“My brother parked his van just under the tree when he came home,” Niamh Doherty told Donegal Live. “He never parks there, so that in itself was a bit of a coincidence.”

The siblings were shook by a loud smash at around 7.50pm. The family were shook as branches from the falling tree scraped past the window of the room they were in.

“If the tree had fallen a metre or so to the left, we were directly in the room where it would have fallen,” Niamh said.  “The van is badly damaged, the front is completely smashed and the windscreen is broken.”

Two other vehicles parked on the street at the time sustained minor damage.

Niamh said: “We were just in shock. We heard the branches of the tree fall against the window. We looked out and all we could see were branches. We ran outside to see and we just couldn’t believe the tree came down - it’a s massive tree that has been there longer than the house itself.”