THE Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has confirmed that it “carries the liability” after the branch of a tree on DfI property protruded out onto a Fermanagh road, causing damage to a woman’s vehicle.

Inga Markauskas, who lives in Irvinestown, was travelling from Enniskillen to Irvinestown with her daughter last Sunday, August 1, when her car wing mirror hit the protruding branch on the Irvinestown Road near Sydare Cemetery.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter about the incident, Inga said: “I was just driving from Enniskillen to Irvinestown and that branch, you could hardly see it. I didn’t know what happened, it was just ‘bang’.

“My daughter was sitting in the front with me and she was scared, she started crying,” she said, adding that it was also a shock for her.

At first Inga wasn’t aware of what she had hit, thinking it might have been a stone on the road.

“We stopped and I checked and the wing mirror was gone. Even the passenger door window was scratched.

“I turned around to see what I’d hit and noticed that it was a branch,” she said, noting that it was a new car and all of the cables were ripped on the wing mirror: “I have no clue how much it will cost [to fix].”

As she looked for her broken wing mirror in the grass near where the incident occurred, Inga found at least three other wing mirrors which may have broken off vehicles as a result of hitting the same branch.

“When I stopped I grabbed the first mirror, thinking it was mine, but I then realised it wasn’t, as mine was a different shape. I saw at least three wing mirrors; it wasn’t only me,” said Inga.

Very cautious

Following the incident, Inga told this newspaper that she is now very cautious driving that way.

“It’s definitely not safe. We pay taxes, so we’re supposed to be safe on the roads. I would understand if there had been a storm, but I don’t know how long that branch has been hanging.”

The Impartial Reporter reached out to the DfI following the incident. When asked who is responsible for the damage to the vehicle following such an incident, the DfI spokesperson responded: “The landowner is responsible for damage.

“In this case, the Department carries the liability, as it was a tree on DfI property.

“Any claim for compensation can be made using the form at https://tinyurl.com/2v9fwyz6.”

They went on to say that the DfI routinely inspects the road network and all actionable defects are recorded and repaired in line with current guidelines. The spokesperson confirmed that the damaged branch which caused the incident was removed on Monday, August 2.

Responding to this newspaper’s question of ‘Who is responsible for maintaining these trees to avoid incidents such as this occurring?’ the DfI spokesperson said: “Most roadside trees and hedges are on lands adjacent to public roads and the landowner is responsible for ensuring that such trees and hedges do not endanger or obstruct road users.

“If a tree or hedge is suspected of being a road safety hazard, DfI will contact the land owner, and will request their cooperation in removing or cutting the trees or hedges.”

The DfI spokesperson highlighted that the public can report an issue with hedges or trees online at https://tinyurl.com/48u2hrkt.