The driver of the car slammed on his brakes and narrowly avoided a collision when the van belonging to courier firm FedEx went out of control on Monday afternoon and headed towards Linda Hirseman’s garden.
As the van looked set to smash through her fence, Mrs Hirseman was forced to run and was left upset and shaken by the terrifying incident, near the junction with Apple Acre on the B4555.
The driver of the van escaped without injury and there were no casualties as the vehicle missed Mrs Hirseman’s garden and ended up on its roof. But the near-miss has prompted renewed calls for drivers to be cautious and for action from county highways officials to make the road safer with extra warning signs.
Eyewitness Carole Sidwell, who lives opposite Mrs Hirseman and has suffered two frights herself in similar incidents, said that the van was coming from the direction of Highley when the driver appeared to take the corner too quickly.
“The back end went out of control and the van span over completely,” said Mrs Sidwell.
“It almost hit another car coming from the opposite direction and ended up on its roof with diesel pouring out of the tank. I went to see Linda and she was very upset and shaking. She thought the van was going to go straight through her fence, although the driver said he was only doing 25 miles per hour.”
Mrs Sidwell said she had also suffered two scares in separate incidents since last December — one just three weeks ago.
“On December 6 a car which was going too fast demolished the stone log shed next to my house and damaged my husband Brian’s car. And three weeks ago another car came round the bend too fast and came off the road — I thought it was coming through my window. It was really scary. It is nerve-wracking now to sit in the front lounge”.
Eardington Parish Council has asked Shropshire County Council to introduce white lines and slow signs. County Council communications officer Laura Owen said: “We are aware of this request for new signing and lining on the B4555 and are currently looking into what can be done to discourage speeding traffic.”
