A SECOND driver has spoken of his lucky escape after a giant tree smashed onto two vehicles amid Storm Dennis' high winds.

In an extraordinary coincidence, both vehicles involved in the crash on the A31 on Saturday were Tesla Model X cars, which are said to be among the safest on the road and are fitted with automatic brakes that are triggered in an emergency.

Yesterday father of three Laurence Sanderson told the Echo that his Tesla's automatic brakes 'undoubtedly' saved his family's lives during the horror smash on the A31 near Wimborne.

Following the Echo's coverage, the driver of the other Tesla, Josh Whitelock, has come forward to share his experience.

Wimborne resident Mr Whitelock said he isn't sure whether the automatic brakes were enabled at the time, but said the car's other safety features enabled him and his two passengers to walk away unscathed.

Mr Whitelock said: "When I saw the tree coming down it was just a feeling of sheer terror - your life does start to flash before your eyes and then the impact was immense - it was just a chaotic mess.

"There was a lot of smoke in the car, a lot of panic.

"The way that the tree landed, without a doubt, if it had been any other car I'm sure the engine would have come through into the front and crushed us.

"I feel incredibly lucky to have no aches or pains; no bruises or broken bones. My girlfriend and her mother were also in the car and are fine too - a little bit sore from the seatbelts as we came to a sudden stop."

In another fortuitous twist, it wasn't Mr Whitelock's own vehicle that was hit by the tree - he had been driving a loan car while his own was being serviced by Tesla.

"When I called Tesla (to inform them of the crash) they were really good about it and gave me a replacement rental car the next day," he said. "They were just thankful nobody got hurt - I think it's quite reassuring for them. For most other cars, I'm sure the outcome would be very different.

"I'd like to say thank you to the emergency services and to the people behind us who let us sit in their car."