Power lines brought down by lorry in man’s path.

Jim Goodyear had been heading home on Friday evening, September 10, when the near-miss took place.

And other residents looked on in shock as wiring was pulled from their homes, causing sparks and leaving them without electricity.

Jim said: “It all happened just above my head. I saw a huge vehicle coming through the village and by the time it got to me, there was nowhere for me to go.

“I saw flashing and banging – it was quite spectacular, but I was scared for a while because this thing was lashing all over the place. I thought it could have been curtains.”

Jim, who plays the organ, said he has had a couple of close encounters.

He said: “I think the good Lord is on my side. It has been a good year.”

Police were called to the scene at 6.40pm and the road was closed for two hours.

Resident Pat Fisher watched in horror as wiring was pulled from her meter box through the wall.

She said: “It was a terrible shock at the time. There was a bang, then a flash and sparks as the electric line came down.

“The wire in my house was pulled across the wall and out of the meter box. The main damage it caused was to my Boston Ivy – but that’s a small price to pay for no loss of life.”

She was left without electricity for three hours until Western Power put the line back.

Resident and parish council chairman David Everett said: “It had the potential for somebody to have been seriously injured.”

Resident Jim Mark said the incident helped bring the community together.

He said: “People saw sparks, which must have been worrying. But then they rallied round to check up on each other and help each other out.”