Car crashes into house on residential street leaving residents shocked and angered

Residents were left shocked and angered after the Volkswagen Golf came off Victoria Park Road in Smethwick between midday and 1pm on Wednesday, claiming they had seen the car speeding down the adjacent Tiverton Road shortly before the crash.

Witnesses said two occupants of the black hatchback left the vehicle and ran into nearby Victoria Park following the crash which caused structural damage to the house, as well as smashing parts of the front wall at a neighbouring house and leaving debris everywhere.

West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service were called to the scene, where witnesses reported officers making a number of arrests as firefighters worked to make the car safe and remove it from the house.

Fire crews also secured the house with wooden pillars and worked to clear the area, with police tape still seen up to two hours after the incident.

One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said he heard the crash and saw two men running away, so called the police.

He said: "I saw them running, so I got on the phone and called the police, as I think a few other people did as they got here very quickly.

"I also saw two officers run into the park in pursuit of the men from the car. It was very shocking to see this all happen around here."

The occupants of the house hit by the car were seen being spoken to by fire officers and looked very shaken at what had happened, with several saying it had happened before on the street.

Their neighbours were also shocked by what had happened, with both suffering damage from the crash, and they also spoke about the dangers of the road and the speed some people drove at.

Harjit Dhutty had arrived at one of the houses to check his mother was ok and described what she had seen and heard.

He said: "The first we heard about it was Mum heard a loud bang, which she thought was like a bomb going off, so came out to investigate and saw the car literally parked in front of the house by the window.

"We've been very lucky in that there's no real damage to the property, apart from the wall, but the thing is it's not the first time this has happened around here because as soon as she described a speeding car, I thought they must have come down the hill.

"The house two doors up has had a speeding car go through their gate before and what we're thankful about is that no one got hurt on the street and that it didn't happen while the school's were open as parents could have been picking up their kids around that time."

Mr Dhutty said he didn't know what could be done to make the road safer, apart from making it a one-way road.

Asburne Smith, who owned the house on the other side of the crash, was picking up a Sold sign which had been hit by the car alongside several railings on the front gate.

He said his house had been hit by a car before, with the door and wall smashed in, and said he had been complaining to Sandwell Council about the road for a long time.

He said: "We've been complaining about the danger of cars speeding down the road and we've made our own arrangements by putting in reinforced steel barriers outside our homes, but at our own cost.

"I would say that we see a lot of cars go speeding down that hill and around that bend and it's getting very dangerous, so I want the council to do something about this."

Ema Oliveira had had one of the best views of the police operation, living on the corner of Tiverton Road and Victoria Park Road, overlooking Victoria Park.

She said she had heard the sound of a speeding car and had thought to herself that the car was going far too fast and might crash, then told the police where to go when they arrived.

She said: "As I heard the sound, I was coming down my stairs when I heard a boom and while I didn't know which house it was, I ran out and saw two men running off, so I shouted for people to call the police.

"I then went to speak to my neighbour to get out of their house in case the car caught fire and when the police arrived, I told them about the two men in the park and they went off to chase them.

"I was very shocked about what had happened, although it's not the first time it's happened here, and I'm just relieved that my children weren't playing out there at the time as I do know how dangerous this road is and how much they speed."

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "Shortly after 2.25pm on Wednesday, August 23, we responded to a collision on Victoria Park Road in Smethwick.

"A fire engine from Wednesbury and a 4x4 Brigade Response Vehicle from Handsworth attended, the first arriving within five minutes of being mobilised. Two specialist Technical Rescue vehicles from Wednesbury were also sent to the scene.

"This incident involved a car that collided with a semi-detached house, which sustained structural damage.

"There were no injuries and all people were accounted for.

"Firefighters shored up the property using timber, and handed the scene over to a structural engineer. The vehicle was recovered by West Midlands Police. We left the incident at 5.15pm."

West Midlands Police has been contacted for comment.