News


Car pushed into house in crash on busy road


VILLAGERS are reeling after a driverploughedinto aparkedcar, smashed through three front gar- dens, and shunted a third vehicle into a house. Witnesses, who likened the inci-


dent to a scene from TV action se- ries The Dukes of Hazzard, say a hedge, bushes and a fig tree failed to stopthedestructive 25mjourney. The driver escaped serious in-


jury, but the crash has shaken resi- dents on the busyA274Maidstone Road inHeadcorn. Sue Runacus, whose car was


parked at the side of her house, said she was on the phone when she heard a loud bang. “I thought it was a door slam-


ming,” she told DownsMail. “But when I looked outside, therewere neighbours on my drive. They were helping amotorist out of her car, which had hit mine side-on and shunted it againstmy house.” Colin Barber, who lives two doors along, said he was sitting


down to dinner when he heard a “whooshing sound”. “Iwent out andfoundthewhole


hedge, a bush and fig tree in my front garden had gone,” he said. Investigations are ongoing, but


villagers believe the car clipped a vehicle parked on Maidstone Road, swerved into Colin’s front garden, took the vegetation down, crossed a second garden and came to rest bypummelling Sue’smotor. “Had any of us been in our gar- dens,” saidColin, “Idreadto think


This Ford Fiesta, belonging to Sue Runacus, was rammed into her house in the incident


whatwould have happened.” The driver, who is thought to


live in the village, was comforted by neighbours until firefighters ar- rived. “She kept apologising,” saidSue.


“I told her not to worry – that the car was only metal. But the next day I kept thinking of all the traffic that passes here and what would have happened if my car hadn’t been there and she’d hit the house instead. The whole episode had shakenmemore than I realised.


downsmail.co.uk ‘Incidents are


almost daily’ RESIDENTS campaigning for traf- fic calming measures along the A274 say it is only amatter of time before somebody is killed. The straight road from Sutton


Valence has a 60mph limituntil the outskirts of Headcorn, and is an “invitation to speed”, says bor- ough councillorMartin Round. “There’s a straight run into


Headcorn and drivers put their foot down. The 40mph restrictions do little to protect residents.” In 2016, 2,000 villagers cam-


paigned to get the speed limits lowered but, they say, highways chiefs did not lower themenough. “It needs to be 30 from the mo-


mentdrivers approachHeadcorn’s first houses,” said Cllr Round. Colin Barber,who lives in one of


thosehouses, said: “Artic lorries are so fast, the vortex can almost knock you off the pavement.” Neighbour Sue Runacus said:


“Incidents are an almost daily oc- currence. It’s dangerous getting out of our drives.” Headcorn ParishCouncil is now


gathering evidence to convince highways chiefs to take action.


Juniors Day Nursery are excited to announce the opening of a new full-time day care nursery in Headcorn, from January 2019.


To register your interest please email headcorn@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk or telephone 01622 891422.


10 Maidstone Weald February 2019


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