Mom Survives 110km/h Tree Strike in Record WA Storm

Lauren Healy was driving 110 kilometers per hour when she saw the tree falling directly toward her windshield. There was no time to swerve, no time to brake, just enough time to brace herself as the massive limb crashed onto the bonnet of her SUV on Bussell Highway near Margaret River.

"I remember being really calm, strangely enough," the mother of two said. "I just heard this voice that said, 'Brace yourself, you're going to be fine.'"

She crawled out of the wreckage minutes later with no major injuries. For Healy, who has raised her two teenage sons alone since her husband died five years ago, surviving meant everything.

"My boys were very close to being without any parents," she said. "I just wanted to make sure I was OK for them."

The crash happened during the worst storm to hit southern Western Australia in 49 years. Cape Naturaliste recorded wind gusts of 135 kilometers per hour, setting a new May wind speed record for the region.

Healy's crash was one of two similar incidents that afternoon on the same highway. A couple in their 70s survived when another tree struck their moving vehicle, escaping with minor injuries.

Sunny's Take

The hours after her rescue brought unexpected joy to ordinary moments. Healy said she'd never been so happy to walk into her kitchen and make her son a peanut butter sandwich.

"Just very lucky to be here and getting up and making lunch for my son," she said. It's a reminder that the smallest moments can become precious when we realize how close we came to losing them.

Multiple drivers stopped to help in the chaos, though confusion meant no one called emergency services for over an hour. When paramedics finally arrived, they confirmed what seemed impossible: Healy had escaped serious harm.

The storm caused nearly 200 emergency calls across the South West, leaving 6,000 homes without power. Repair crews worked through the week to restore electricity to affected areas.

Healy said the experience taught her a powerful lesson about resilience and gratitude. She's processing the trauma while celebrating each new day with her sons, knowing that milliseconds separated her from tragedy.

She won't drive in severe weather again, but she will keep making those peanut butter sandwiches.