A WOMAN today told how she feared for her life while walking on a pavement - when a 4ft long plank of wood hurtled towards her after being blown off a tractor trailer.

Charlotte Lewis, 33, was hit on a shoulder by the piece of timber as she made her way to work at Riverside Farm, Shipton Road, York, at about 11am on Wednesday.

Ms Lewis, of Poppleton Park, said she believed high winds had dislodged the plank from the trailer as she crossed the River Ouse bridge on the A1237 outer ring road.

She said: "I didn't feel anything at the time because it went that fast and I was really scared by what had happened.

"At the time I did believe I was going to be really seriously injured."

She escaped the incident with a sore shoulder and paid tribute to a motorist who saw the incident and stopped to see if she was injured.

"I thought I could have been killed and no one would have known," she said.

"The driver of the tractor was completely oblivious to what was going on around him.

"I didn't get the motorist's name, but he turned back to ask me if I was okay and if I needed to get anywhere. He was very kind.

"I was just glad that someone else had actually seen it because it sounded a bit surreal."

A police spokesman said they had received a report of the incident.

Carrying an insecure load is an offence under the 1988 Road Traffic Act and can be enforced with penalty points and a fine.

PC Peter Tuke said: "People should make sure that their loads are secured down correctly, especially with winter coming and the high winds it brings."

Updated: 10:51 Tuesday, September 20, 2005