Driver escapes after massive tree falls onto SUV in Chester County

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Talk about a near-death experience. Video captured a massive ash tree crashing down onto a Chester County roadway, crushing a car and shocking fellow drivers.

Amazingly, the driver is seen walking away from what could have been a disaster.

What we know:

Surveillance video from the Karco convenience near the intersection of Route 52 and Route 926 in Kennet Square shows a tree come crashing down across the roadway and exploding in the store parking lot.

What’s more shocking is that you see the driver, a woman seemingly unhurt, escaping the crushed SUV. 

She is seen running towards the driver in front of her with her hands on her head. 

The store owner who didn’t want to be identified, witnessed the tree fall. 

He says the driver who he did not know was talking and alert before police arrived.

"She was started running she was so scared, I don’t have the words. I was shocked. Clearly nobody died so god bless everybody" said the store owner.

The owner of the store says the driver of the SUV was picked up by a family member.  

What they're saying:

Tom Brophy drove by minutes after it fell.

"One tree hits another tree and boom. Knocks them down. Everything is so wet now" said Brophy.

Drivers who use this intersection every day tell FOX 29 they’re not surprised this tree fell. 

Many blame recent wet and windy weather.

Social media was flooded with reaction to the video.  

One poster on Facebook says "Twice I reported this tree to PennDot."  

Another said "This road makes me nervous."

We showed the video to Steve Bradley, who has been driving by the dangling tree for weeks. 

"I fill my gas up at this pump facing in this direction once a week and there was always a tree there clearly dead leaning and I though to myself, ‘it’s going to come down one day’ It came down and someone was very lucky by the looks of it," Bradley said.

What's next:

PennDot says it’s looking into complaints about dangerous trees.