Driver trapped in taxi as wind brings down tree and power lines

A TAXI driver had to be rescued by firefighters after a tree and power lines fell on his vehicle in Ashurst amid high winds and torrential rain.

The incident took place around 12.25pm today (Tuesday) as the male motorist was travelling along Knellers Lane, leaving him trapped inside the vehicle.

Paramedics, including the Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulance and South Central Ambulance Service’s hazardous area response team (SCAS HART) responded as it was initially feared he was in a life-threatening condition.

Engineers from Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) were also dispatched amid concerns the overhead cable brought down by the fallen tree was a high-voltage supply.

The high-voltage network was switched off, cutting power to 160 properties including buildings in the nearby Hounsdown Business Park off Newman’s Copse Road.

Fire crews cut the driver, who is in his 50s, free before handing him into the care of the paramedics.

By this time, a South Central Ambulance Service spokesperson said, it was established he had suffered minor injuries and he was taken by land ambulance to Southampton General Hospital.

The SSEN engineers had been called out around 1.15pm, a company spokesperson told the A&T, and all 160 affected properties were reconnected around 2pm after it was established the affected line was on the low-voltage network.

This was then disconnected, initially cutting off 46 properties in the Knellers Lane area. There were only five left without power by 3.30pm.

The spokesperson said it was hoped that the remaining customers would all be reconnected by around 5pm once the tree cutters had cleared the debris and the engineers had re-erected the line.

As reported in the A&T, the Met Office issued a low-level yellow warning for bad weather yesterday, including strong winds and heavy rain.