A tree fell on a moving car on the Vellayambalam-Kowdiar road on Saturday afternoon, trapping the vehicle under it.
The occupants, a couple from Kazhakuttam, were unhurt. They had a lucky escape as the heavier limbs of the tree missed the car. The incident occurred near the Raj Bhavan shortly after 1 p.m.
The uprooted tree, which had been standing next to the footpath near the Raj Bhavan wall, fell across the road.
Traffic on one lane of the road was hit for about 40 minutes. Fire and Rescue personnel used an electric saw to cut away the trunk and branches and helped the police extract the vehicle from under the foliage.
''I saw the tree falling and slammed on the brake, but couldn't avoid it,'' Titus Antony, a retired employee of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) who was in the driver's seat, said. He and his wife were heading towards Vellayambalam after dropping off their daughter for her PSC prelims examination.
''I will never say that all trees on the roadside should be cut. But as a former KSEB employee, I would suggest that tree branches that pose danger should be trimmed,'' Mr. Antony said.
According to the police, no serious damage was immediately visible on the vehicle. Fire and Rescue personnel from the Chenkalchoola unit responded to the alert.
