A 29-year-old Nigerian man, James Abiwon, has died after a tree fell on his car during Storm Boelo in Mill Hill, north London.
According to Metro UK, Abiwon was driving along Dollis Road at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday when the tree fell amid strong winds.
Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance, rushed to the scene. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Abiwon’s cousin, Tyrrell Okolo, described him as “a master of everything” and a devoted family man.
The deceased worked as a technology sales executive and held a degree from the University of Essex. He was also a semi-professional footballer who played for Aldershot, a musician whose YouTube channel had about 40,000 viewers, and a mentor to many people, according to his cousin.
Abiwon had been preparing to celebrate his 30th birthday with a padel tournament. Following his death, the event will go ahead in his memory, with proceeds expected to support his family.
His close friend, 29-year-old Kwame Affum, said they had played padel together just two days before the fatal incident.
“I’m trying hard to get my head around this,” Affum told Metro UK.
He said a friend had messaged Abiwon shortly before the accident about money owed to him for the court booking, but he did not respond, prompting concern.
Affum described Abiwon as a sports enthusiast, a talented footballer and an Arsenal supporter. He also said the deceased had graduated with a first-class degree and recently received an award at work.
“He was full of energy and talent,” Affum said.
“He was going to celebrate his 30th birthday in two weeks. It just seems impossible this has happened.”
A witness who laid flowers at the scene told Metro UK that she heard a helicopter and went outside to discover that a fallen tree had blocked the road, with a car trapped beneath it.
According to the witness, Abiwon’s girlfriend and best friend arrived while rescue operations were still underway. They were reportedly shaking as they waited, hoping he would be rescued alive.
The witness said his aunts and other relatives arrived later and were inconsolable over his death.
She described Abiwon as someone who was clearly loved by many, adding that the community had lost one of its own.
Traffic on Dollis Road was reportedly heavy at the time of the incident, as roadworks on a nearby street had diverted more vehicles onto the road.
A neighbour whose home overlooks the scene expressed concern about the circumstances, saying: “If it had been 10 minutes later, it could have been me.”
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Dollis Road at about 12:40 p.m. on Sunday following reports that a tree had fallen onto a moving car.
The police said they were working with the local authority and coroner to establish the circumstances surrounding Abiwon’s death.
Storm Boelo brought wind gusts of up to 84 mph across parts of the United Kingdom over the weekend.
A 60-year-old man was also killed by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, while other people were injured in incidents linked to the storm.
