'Horror' after man killed by tree falling on car

Members of a community have spoken of their shock after a man in Birmingham was killed when a tree fell on the car he was driving.

Emergency services were called to Sutton Road in Erdington at about 15:00 GMT on Saturday, after 60mph (97kmh) winds brought down hundreds of trees across the West Midlands.

Police - who have not named the man - said they had referred the case to the coroner.

Hafiz Khalid, who lives nearby, told BBC News he heard a "big bang" and his daughter's scream as she looked out of the window.

"It was quite frightening," he said, adding a "big chunk" of the tree was sat across the car's windscreen.

"People were trying to open the doors," he said, adding the vehicle's horn was sounding continuously.

"The police arrived and they opened the back window on the left side, and looked into it and shouted 'can you hear' and there was no noise from [inside] the car."

He said the "shocking" incident left many people upset in the community.

Another local, Kevin Philpott, was also among those who went to try to help.

"I ran out of the flat to see if I could be of any assistance, saw what had gone on, and straight away called 999," he said.

"There was a group of people around, trying to see if they could get in, get help to the driver - I just concentrated on ringing the emergency services, and then let the horror sink in.

"I kind of realised then how horrific it was."

Sgt Benjamin Parsons, of the West Midlands roads policing unit, said the man's next of kin had been informed and that a report would be passed to the coroner.

Anyone who saw what happened - or who may have dashcam or mobile phone footage – was urged to contact police.

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