A young family narrowly escaped serious injury when a huge tree fell on a car in Blackley this morning.
The incident happened on Charlestown Road near the car park at the entrance to Boggart Hole Clough.
Eyewitness Janet Allen, 49, was travelling in a car with her son and husband behind the vehicle that was hit.
"If it had been five seconds earlier it would have been us," she told the M.E.N.
"The tree was huge.
"Just as we came round the bend it had landed."
Pictures shared with the M.E.N show the tree fell directly across the road, damaging brickwork and flattening a grey Ford that despite his efforts to get out of the way.
Luckily, a large number of bystanders were in the area at the time who rushed to help the young family inside.
Emergency services including fire and ambulance were called to the scene although an ambulance also happened to be passing by.
Mrs Allen said no one was hurt but the family were shaken.
"There was mum, a little girl aged about six and a baby in a car seat and dad was driving," she said.
"We all came and got them out. The mum was very shocked, she was also pregnant.
"I dialled 999 but then an ambulance was coming past anyway so the paramedics got out and checked everyone over."
The branches of the tree left the roof and windscreen of the Ford badly damaged.
"The car was creaking on the other side," said Mrs Allen.
"Some guys who stopped were tree surgeons and they said they could start cutting it back.
"Everyone really pulled together.
"There's that much bad news out there but this time everybody helped.
"It was very very lucky really."
There have been several reports of fallen trees and flooding across Greater Manchester as a result of recent stormy weather.
The Met Office is forecasting more rain and strong winds over the weekend.
