Manages to steer clear of falling 35-ft rain tree that left three parked cars damaged on Tuesday

Ranjeet Kumar (31), who works in a Pimpari call centre, had a close brush with death on Tuesday when a 35-ft rain tree fell on the spot he had been waiting for his friend Vishal Kodolikar on his bike a few seconds earlier.

Close shave
Kumar, who had parked his bike at East Street, had walked a few steps towards an ATM nearby when he heard the massive tree creaking.

"I acted fast, but even as I steered my bike away, the tree came crashing down. I sustained some bruises on my arms but I managed to save my life. While the cars parked on the spot were severely damaged," said Kumar, who said it is not the first time he had faced a freak accident of this nature.

"Eight years ago, I dived in the Patna stretch of the Ganga for fun though I could not swim. I would have drownedu00a0 had I not been rescued by some people who were at the banks," Kumar added.

Station Duty Officer R B Gangad of the Bhavani Peth Fire Brigade station received a call at 1.38 pm about the fallen tree, which was removed within half an hour.