A 42-year-old teaching assistant is recovering after a large tree trunk fell on her head during a storm with winds reaching 50 mph. Nina Lunn was walking in Allestree Park, Derby, when the incident occurred on Sunday, October 25. The impact knocked her to the ground, resulting in a concussion and a bleeding head wound.
Lunn described the event as a "freak impact," stating that hospital staff expressed shock at her survival. Paramedics noted her significantly elevated blood pressure following the incident. She expressed relief that she was not positioned differently, remarking, "If I had been a foot in either direction the tree would have smashed right on top of me."
The incident happened as Lunn was on the phone with a friend. A sudden gust of wind caused a tree she had just passed to snap in half and fall directly on her. She recounted hearing a loud crack and turning around just as the tree hit her. The force of the impact caused her teeth to shatter together and left her bleeding profusely.
With her AirPods dislodged by the impact, Lunn called for help from a friend. A passerby assisting a woman with a pram helped Lunn stem the bleeding with her fleece sleeve. Lunn noted that the incident could have been far worse, stating, "Had it happened 30 seconds earlier, the tree could have got the mom and her baby and I was so close to being completely wiped out. I feel genuinely lucky to be alive."
She was taken to Royal Derby Hospital, where medical professionals applied glue to close her head wound before she was discharged. However, the following day, Lunn experienced symptoms of a concussion, including swelling, blurred vision, and high blood pressure. She continues to suffer from headaches and some visual impairment but is reportedly improving daily.
The tree that fell is believed to have been either an oak or a birch. Derby City Council has been contacted for comment.