West Sussex Gazette

Family’s horror Call for crash barriers

-

A Horsham mum was horrified and her young daughter terrified after a car crashed through their garden and hit their house. Kellie Oldfield said she heard an ‘almighty bang’ and a ‘big screech and crash’ on August 24.

The 44-year-old added: “It was about 9.20am I heard one big screech and crash and then I heard another almighty bang.

“It sounded like an explosive bomb going off.”

Police said an 18-yearold woman from West Ashling, near Chichester, was arrested on suspicion of driving over the alcohol limit after the incident on the A24 Dorking Road – and she has now been released under investigat­ion.

In the collision a second 18-year-old woman – the passenger – suffered potentiall­y life-changing facial injuries and was taken to hospital by air ambulance, police said. Kellie, who works at Barns Green Social Club, said: “The passenger was very badly injured. It did shake us all up.

“It’s nearly a week on – we’re still not over it.”

The mum is now calling for highways officials to install crash barriers along the edge of her garden in a bid to stop any further crashes. Kellie said her young daughter has been ‘really shaken up’ by the horror crash and now refuses to sleep alone.

She added: “I’m worried about cars hitting my house and landing in my garden. It’s ridiculous.

“I want the county council to fit crash barriers.”

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the collision which involved a white Ford Fiesta. A spokesman said: “Anybody who witnessed the incident, saw the vehicle travelling along the A24 before the collision or has any dash cam footage which could help with the investigat­ion can email collision.appeal@ sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 0312 of 24/08.”

A West Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We cannot comment at this time as there is an ongoing police investigat­ion.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom