Newstead food van operators, Caroline and Dean McLaren, had a near miss on Saturday afternoon when a large tree fell across the Pyrenees Highway at McKenzie Hill.
The couple were returning home from a fundraising barbecue they had been attending with their Konjo Mama food van, to raise money for the Newstead Young Writers Festival.
They were about to pull out of Corbett Street onto the Pyrenees Highway, but waited for a car travelling up McKenzie Hill towards Newstead.
“Despite the fact that the car was some way off, I decided to wait, as I knew that I’d be a bit slow pulling up the hill towing the van,” Mr McLaren said.
“It was probably the best decision I ever made as while I was waiting for the car to pass we heard an almighty crack and a massive eucalypt fell right in front of us, almost completely blocking the Pyrenees Highway, missing our vehicle by about a metre and a half.
“Thankfully, no other cars were passing just at that time and no one was injured.”
After calling the police, the McLarens helped to direct traffic until the tree was moved off the road by quick-thinking local earthmoving contractor, Jack Dredge.
The tree missed the McLarens’ vehicle by about a metre and a half.
