Dog walker seriously injured after tree falls in Bristol amid stormy conditions

A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a tree or large branch fell on him while he was walking his dog on Shirehampton Road in the Stoke Bishop area of Bristol on Sunday evening.

Avon and Somerset Police said they were called by the ambulance service shortly before 5 p.m. to reports that a man had been injured after a tree fell. "Emergency services attended and the man was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries described as serious," a force spokesperson said. Fire crews also attended the scene.

Local residents and witnesses told local media the tree had been weakened by stormy weather earlier in the day. One resident said they had been woken by what sounded like a loud thunder or lightning strike around 9 a.m., and suspected a nearby tree had been hit and later collapsed. A community page posted online that "a very large branch fell from a tree. A member of the public was underneath and suffered injuries as a result. There was a very fast and comprehensive attendance by emergency services who were marvellous."

Another witness described the scene on Shirehampton Road and nearby Stoke Lodge playing fields as chaotic while crews worked. Councillor Kaz Self posted on social media expressing concern for the injured man and his family, writing: "I do hope the dog walker who was in close vicinity to a falling branch on Stoke Lodge open space is okay."

Police said they had not released further details about the man's condition. Bristol City Council was approached for comment.

Reports of heavy rainfall and thunder, with lightning in the area earlier on Sunday, were cited by residents as possibly having weakened the tree before it fell. Emergency services remain responsible for ensuring the area is made safe and for any subsequent inquiries into the cause of the collapse.

Incidents involving falling trees and branches tend to increase during and after severe weather, when saturated soil and storm damage can reduce root stability and weaken limbs. Local authorities routinely inspect and maintain trees in public spaces, and the council was asked whether recent inspections or reported concerns covered the location where the collapse occurred.

Police and emergency services offered no further updates late on Sunday. Any witness information or further details from public bodies about the circumstances of the collapse and the man's condition had not been made public by publication time.