A RATHDOWNEY woman is lucky to be alive after a large tree fell on her car at the height of Saturday’s fierce storm that swept through the Scenic Rim region.

Judy Heise, the Beaudesert Times Rathdowney correspondent, was driving home about 4pm from her job as a nurse at Beaudesert Hospital when the tree fell on her car on the Mt Lindesay Highway near the Tamrookum hall.

The impact of the tree falling across the road resulted in a branch spearing through the windscreen of the Toyota Camry, narrowly missing Ms Heise who miraculously escaped injury.

“The rain was getting heavy at Tamrookum and I was looking for somewhere to pull over, but there were trees on the opposite side of the road that I was  scared were going to fall over,” she said.

“It was raining, really windy and dark and I was just about to pull into the driveway of a property when the next minute there was a huge crash and a tree fell onto my car.

“The only part of the car that the tree didn’t hit was where I was sitting, I’m definitely lucky to be alive.

“It smashed the bonnet and a branch came through the windscreen into the car on the passenger side.”

With hail pelting down immediately after the crash, an off duty police officer pulled up to provide assistance and rang emergency services.

Ms Heise said she immediately put on her car’s hazard lights after the crash, but did not realise the tree’s canopy had completely engulfed the car.

“I was hoping noone would hit me, the car was completely covered by the tree. I don’t know whether lightning hit it or what happened. The tree went across the full width of the road, hit the car and just shattered everywhere,” she said.

Ms Heise thanked everyone who stopped to offer assistance after the crash.