Fourth crash into home in 12 years
A car has crashed into a home, demolishing a garden wall – the fourth such incident in 12 years.
A red Ford Fiesta came off a sharp bend at the junction of Chapel Lane and Church Lane, Knighton, Leicester, just after 7pm on Wednesday.
It's understood the driver, a young woman, was shaken but uninjured in the incident, shortly after 7pm.
The car managed to avoid hitting a row of bollards designed to protect the home of Dr Ian Hudson and his wife, Dee, who live in the house on the bend.
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Mrs Hudson said: "We just heard a bang and wondered what it was.
"The car hit the wall just after 7pm. It's the fourth time it's happened. It was a young girl driving, she was only about 18.
"We were more concerned about her. She was very shaken and there were paramedics here, but I don't think she was injured.
"There used to be cast iron bollards in front of the house but they were replaced after one came off like a torpedo into the wall after an impact.
"Apart from the four incidents when cars have hit the house, there have been numerous other times when cars have hit the bollards and stopped.
"We come out and check the people are okay and they almost always have to be towed off because they get trapped on the bollards.
"It's a school run so had any children been walking along there the consequences could have been far worse.
"I can't believe it's happened again."
In 2002, three years after they moved in, a car hit a bollard outside the house, launching the bollard into their front wall, demolishing it.
A month later, a car crashed through a bollard and their wooden fence and was only prevented from doing more damage when it hit scaffolding surrounding the 19th century home.
In 2007, another car left the road and demolished the wall.
Dr Hudson, a consultant cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital, was rushed to work by police as his car was trapped by the debris, making him late for an emergency operation.
Leicester City Council replaced the cast iron bollards with plastic ones designed to absorb the impact of cars, bringing them to a safe stop.
But Dr Hudson is calling on Leicester City Council to take further action.
He said: "We have recorded many of the accidents and within 20 or 30 seconds of them happening there have been people walking along the footpath.
"I could have been out walking the dogs along there when the latest one happened. We have asked the council to consider traffic calming measures. A wall can be replaced. We don't want someone to be killed before something is done."
A council spokesman said: "Our road safety engineers have looked at the site and believe that all possible actions have been taken there. However, they are happy to visit the site again to meet with Mr and Mrs Hudson to look at whether there are any further options."
Comments
by Stoned
Saturday, January 19 2013, 1:03PM
“I disagree that the council are out of options....what about the high kerbs that were installed to prevent similar accidents to a property in Kirby Road, Glenfield? These seem to have done the job.”
by georgeisafish
Saturday, January 19 2013, 9:07AM
“the standard of driving seems questionable? how can you get a fiesta into such a position on the road, that you cant go around the bend? excusing mechanical faults, there seems no logical reason for the collision?”