Atlanta

Falling tree narrowly misses mother, children

ATLANTA — A family of four says a falling tree nearly crushed them during an afternoon drive through northwest Atlanta Sunday.

Neighbors told Channel 2's Matt Johnson that the tree has been a problem in front of an abandoned house for years. Now everyone is thankful it didn't kill anyone

“It was crazy. I’m just lucky to be alive. I’m very lucky,” Janetta Billingsley said.

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Billingsley told Johnson she had barely any time to react when a large tree started falling right in front of her.

“I was just panicking. I just held the wheel and closed my eyes and went through the tree,” Billingsley said.

The tree damaged the front of her car and she told Johnson she's fortunate it didn't hit her or her two children, who were in the back seat.

“The tree could have fell on top of my car. I’m real lucky. I thank God I’m OK, and me and my kids are fine,” Billingsley told Johnson.

The family was driving home from the grocery store when the tree feel

They were going home from the grocery store when the tree feel at around noon on Chappell Road in northwest Atlanta.

Neighbors said the tree has been dead for years and they feared it would eventually fall.

“Me and my son heard a big boom and he jumped up. I jumped up and we looked out and the tree was right here on the ground,” neighbor Tiffany Anderson said.

Crews temporarily shut off power to the neighborhood as work began to get the tree off of the road.

Billingsley said she may have to buy a new car after this but she knows how much worse it could have been.

“Thank God me and my family is OK and walked out fine,” Billingsley said.

The mother said she had medics check on her 2-year-old and 7-year-old children just in case, but they were fine, just shaken up.