Grandmother's fear after three cars crashed into her garden
Pensioner, 93, is too scared to let her grandchildren play outside her house after three cars crashed into her garden and a biker died in accident on ‘death trap’ street
- Kate Hooper, a grandmother-of-ten, is now too afraid to sit in her own garden
A 93-year-old woman has been left too scared to let her grandchildren play outside her house after three cars crashed into her garden and a biker died in an accident on her ‘death trap’ street.
Kate Hooper, a grandmother-of-ten, is now too afraid to sit in her own garden in case another car comes crashing through her fence.
Drivers have smashed into the retired factory worker’s house on three separate occasions – in May 2020, June 2022 and most recently last Tuesday – while a motorcyclist was killed in a tragic accident outside her house three years ago.
Ms Hooper’s son John, 73, is extremely worried his mother could die because of people repeatedly mowing down her garden fence in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
Mr Hooper, a retired JCB driver, claims his family have repeatedly complained to council highways bosses appealing for traffic calming measures but nothing has been done.
A 93-year-old woman is fearing for her life after a spate of crashes has seen three cars plough into her garden in as many years. Pictured: Grandmother Kate Hooper and her son John last Tuesday
Kate Hooper, a grandmother-of-ten, is now too afraid to let her own grandchildren play in the garden in case another car comes crashing through her fence. Pictured: The scene of the crash in June 2022
Mrs Hooper’s son says reckless motorists drive an average of 50mph along the 30mph street which has no signage warning drivers of the speed limit. This picture was taken after the May 2020 crash
He says reckless motorists drive an average of 50mph along the 30mph street which has no signage warning drivers of the speed limit.
Father-of-three Mr Hooper said: ‘I genuinely fear the worst for my elderly mother. The street is an absolute death trap.
‘It is having an effect on her because when it happened the other day, and she called, she could barely speak. She was in such a state, and bearing in mind, she’s 93.
‘It is having an effect on her as she’s getting more and more nervous and not wanting to sit in the garden.
‘If she was sitting in her garden and a car crashed through, she would be killed.’
Mrs Hooper has lived in the home on the corner of Alder Close for over 50 years but it was only these past three years the family has seen constant crashes.
Speeding drivers have been ploughing into the property from Primsland Way, which the family say is in desperate need of road humps or a 20mph limit.
Neighbours also warn their friends to use a footpath, which runs alongside the houses, rather than walk down the dangerous street.
Mr Hooper continued: ‘The speed people come along that road is crazy.
The fence is directly opposite the site of where a biker was tragically killed in an accident in 2020
‘I’d usually say its like an accident waiting to happen by accidents are happening – so why has nothing been done about it?
‘We’ve complained to highways multiple times over the last 12 months but absolutely nothing has changed.
‘They even replied to us to say they didn’t believe the road needed traffic calming measures. Well, it clearly does.
‘When there’s been four accidents in three years, including a fatal one, surely that’s enough evidence.’
Mr Hooper and his brother have been trying to get something done about the stretch of road for the past year out of fears of another fatal incident or a serious injury.
The grandfather-of-five, from Worcester, added: ‘We are angry, all my siblings are, and we are worried about her, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren because if they were in the garden, they would be involved in it as well.
‘It would be serious injury or fatality, and that’s why we want to get it sorted.
‘The neighbours come out if they see someone with kids or a pram and warn them its not safe to walk along the footpath.
The Hoopers have spoken out after another car crashed through their fence last Tuesday, sparking further fears of a fatal accident
‘People are not safe outside their own homes. The average speed must be 50mph and its a 30mph zone.
‘There’s no speed limit signs nearby, no sleeping policeman, just nothing to prevent these accidents from happening.
‘It needs to be a 20mph road otherwise this accidents are going to keep on happening. It’s not right.’
Worcestershire County Council said it was now looking to implement a traffic calming scheme along the road.
A council spokesperson said: ‘We are currently working with the local County Councillor to address concerns raised along Primsland Way.
‘As a result, we will soon be rolling out a traffic calming scheme which includes additional signing and road markings.’
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