Derbyshire man 'lucky to be alive' after car crashes outside his home

Gary Lund outside his home. Picture by Anne Shelley.

Gary Lund was inside his home on Bowshaw in Dronfield late on Friday night when he heard an 'almighty smash'.

When he went outside, the 51-year-old discovered a car had crashed into his front garden wall and electric gates - causing more than £9,000 worth of damage.

Mr Lund said: "I'd not long returned home from walking my dog.

Damage caused by the crash. Picture by Anne Shelley.

"I could have been outside my property when this crash happened.

"If I had been, I might have died."

Police, firefighters and the land and air ambulance all attended the collision.

A man was taken to hospital while a woman received care from ambulance personnel.

It has not yet been established what caused the crash.

Following the incident, Mr Lund described the issue of speeding vehicles on Bowshaw as a 'major concern'.

He said: "It's a 40mph road and I see cars breaking the speed limit every single day.

"Residents can't keep looking over their shoulders every time they go out due to speeding motorists.

"I'm very concerned that it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed by a speeding driver here."

He urged motorists to 'slow down' and also called on Derbyshire County Council (DCC) to reduce the speed limit and introduce traffic calming measures on Bowshaw.

"Enough is enough," Mr Lund added.

A DCC spokesman said of the crash: "We have not been made aware of this incident but will await the outcome of any police investigation."

The spokesman added: "We are not currently considering introducing any traffic calming measures or speed reduction in this area but if the resident wants to contact us with his concerns we will look at it."

The council's website states: "We receive many requests for traffic calming measures which far outweigh the limited funding available for such schemes.

"Our funds must therefore be targeted at areas with a history of speed-related collisions."