Calls for traffic calming on Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne after three-car crash involving Nissan Qashqai
A crash involving three cars on an accident-prone road has prompted calls for extra safety measures “before somebody is seriously injured”.
Paul Mercer was about to go to bed ahead of a nightshift when he heard an “almighty bang” outside his home in Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne.
When the the 47-year-old looked out the window, at around 7.30pm on Friday (October 4), he was shocked to see his mum's two-year-old Ford Fiesta had been struck.
The vehicle had been parked up on the road when it was hit by a blue Nissan Qashqai and “shunted three car lengths” down the road into another vehicle, a red Nissan Qashqai.
Mr Mercer told KentOnline: “I was shocked, the adrenaline started running because I couldn't get down the stairs quick enough to find out what was going on.”
When he got outside he says he found a woman in the driver’s seat who looked “really stunned and dazed at what happened”.
Police and paramedics were called and it is understood the driver was not injured.
However, the crash has caused lasting damage to the cars involved.
Mr Mercer added: “We believe my mum’s car will be a write-off because the impact was so hard the driver's rear wheel was buried so bad into the passenger rear door that it was not moveable.
“And the driver's door, you couldn’t open it properly, you had to yank it open, and my suspicions are the chassis moved as well.”
His mother Denise Brooker, 75, had only paid off the finance for her vehicle three days prior to the incident as she decided she wanted to keep the car.
The vehicle had clocked 3,000 miles, but she now doubts she will ever get to drive it again.
After moving into his new home last year, Mr Mercer says this is the third serious accident he has witnessed on Chalkwell Road and he is now calling for extra safety measures to be introduced.
“The first accident involved a BMW just down the road from where my mother’s car was parked, outside the youth centre,” he explained.
“Then there was an accident a couple of months ago, there was a red Nissan Micra which ended up on its side on a Sunday morning.
“Something needs to happen to this road, I was talking to my neighbour about this and he's been here a year more than me, and even he said someone's going to get seriously injured, or even killed on this road.
“There are a lot of kids that walk up and down this road, there's a lot of dogs. It's a very busy road.
Mr Mercer does not believe imposing speed limits themselves would help as they can be ignored but adds “if we had two speed cameras put up that would stop it all”.
Following the incident, Mr Mercer is pulling forward plans to convert his driveway in a bid to protect his vehicles.
He added: “We have been carrying out building works to the house, and now some of that work is finished, I'm planning on getting the driveway done next month.
“I always planned to get it done, but because of what’s happened, we’re bringing it forward so mum can park the car off the road and so she can feel safe without having to leave her car on the road anymore.”
A police Spokesman said: “Officers were called at 7.36pm on Friday, October 4 to a collision involving a car and two stationary vehicles in Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne.
“Officers attended the scene where no serious injuries were reported.”