Tree falls on car in Ang Mo Kio during heavy rain, passengers shaken but uninjured

On the way home from class, two children were in a relative's car at an intersection when a tall tree across the road suddenly fell on top of their car.

It happened around 7:45pm on Jul. 8, during a heavy storm near Sembawang Hills Estate, their mother, who was waiting at home at the time, told Mothership.

Her children, aged 10 and 12, recalled seeing flashes of lightning in the sky shortly before hearing a loud thud.

Given the torrential weather, the mother, who wishes to be known as Ms A, believes the tree collapsed after being struck by lightning.

Though no one was hurt, the family was shaken by what happened, she said.

Thought it was a car crash

Along with the thud, the children and their relative felt the whole car shake.

"Everyone thought it was a car crash, like someone had banged into them," Ms A said.

It was only when the relative stepped out to check what had happened that they realised a tree had fallen on the car.

According to a video taken by the relative, a tall, skinny tree had snapped, and its trunk had fallen across the road onto the roof of the car.

Although several cars drove past, no one stopped to help them because of the heavy rain.

That was until a man cycling by stopped and offered to help the relative push the tree trunk off the car.

It took a while as the tree was very heavy, according to Ms A.

Tree was removed

About two hours after the incident, when the rain finally cleared, Ms A's husband drove back to the intersection.

The fallen tree trunk was no longer there, Ms A said. She believed someone might have removed it.

As a result of the incident, the car had a pronounced dent on its roof, but she was relieved that her family was not hurt.

She had to calm her children down once they got home, as they were still fearful, thinking that something worse could have happened to them.

"I myself am shaken, even though I wasn't in a car, because what are the odds that such a thing can happen?" she told Mothership.

"I'm just so thankful that the tree wasn't any heavier, because the car was a small one, and it could have just gotten crushed. The people inside could have gotten crushed."

She added that her family has reported the incident to the National Parks Board (NParks).

Mothership has reached out to NParks for comment.