A motorist was killed on Tuesday when a rotten tree crushed his convertible sports car in Hadley Highstone.

Matthew Warden, 32, from Tamworth Road, Hertford, was hit by the falling tree on the junction of Great North Road and Beaumont Place at 1.30pm.

Rescue teams freed him from the vehicle but he was confirmed dead on arrival at Barnet Hospital.

A builder who was renovating a nearby house when the accident happened said: "The wind just blew the tree over. We did try to free him from his car but we could not do anything as the tree was much too heavy. Green goddesses arrived but it was too late there was nothing they could do to help him."

One green and one red goddess from Inglis barracks, Mill Hill, arrived with a rescue team from Hertford and an army breathing apparatus rescue team from Borehamwood. The 20 army personnel used specialist navy cutting equipment to free the yellow and black Vauxhall v20 Lightning from the tree.

An air ambulance, five ambulances, five police vehicles and a tree surgeon also attended.

Speaking at the scene, Sergeant Edmund Lucas, of the Alperton traffic unit, said: "It was an unfortunate accident. There was a freak wind which just blew the tree over. He didn't stand a chance."

Investigating officer Sergeant Keith Williams said: "The tree was rotten. It was a million in one chance. We will examine every facet of the accident."

The accident happened directly outside the home of Big Brother star Helen Adams.

January 30, 2003 15:00