Car crash destroys Langstone war memorial as airbags deploy
Emergency services attended the scene after a vehicle left the road and collided with the memorial, which has stood in the village for more than a decade as a place of remembrance for those who served their country. The force of the impact was significant enough to damage and displace the memorial's heavy granite blocks, some of which are believed to weigh around a tonne each.Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured in the incident, despite the vehicle's airbags deploying. 
Police and ambulance crews were called to the scene.However, local representatives have warned the outcome could have been far worse.The memorial is a focal point for community events and remembrance services, with dozens of people often gathering there each November to pay their respects.Speaking about the incident, Councillor Ray Mogford said: "The war memorial has been there for a very long time, certainly more than ten years. "It is made up of individual granite blocks arranged in a curve, rather than being one solid piece of granite."A driver came off the A48 and crashed into the memorial. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured, although the vehicle's airbags were deployed.
Police and ambulance crews attended the scene."There are benches around the memorial, so this could have been a lot worse. The community council owns the site and has already assessed and measured the damage in preparation for an insurance claim. I tried to move one of the granite blocks myself, and they must weigh around a tonne each."
"Had this incident happened during one of those events, the consequences could have been far more serious. "This has highlighted ongoing safety concerns on the A48. The council needs to address issues around speeding and road safety before a more serious incident occurs."
The memorial is owned by the community council, which has begun assessing the extent of the damage and is preparing an insurance claim. The crash has also reignited concerns among residents about speeding and road safety along the busy stretch of the A48, with calls for measures to prevent a similar incident from occurring again. Gwent Police have been contacted for further details along with Newport[1] Council.
Police said: "We received a report of a single vehicle road traffic collision on the A48, Langstone at around 7.30am on Thursday 11 June.
"The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital for treatment; his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening."
Newport Council said: "We're arranging for the area around the war memorial to be barriered off."