Residents demand action after accidents on 'drag strip' road in Sutton

A string of high-speed accidents have turned a road in Sutton into a danger zone, claim furious residents who are demanding action.
The crash on Dalestorth Road, Sutton last November that wrote off Brad Waterhouse's car and also that of his dad.The crash on Dalestorth Road, Sutton last November that wrote off Brad Waterhouse's car and also that of his dad.
The crash on Dalestorth Road, Sutton last November that wrote off Brad Waterhouse's car and also that of his dad.

Speeding drivers have ploughed into parked cars and smashed garden walls on Dalestorth Road, where residents say they have had enough.

"It’s a bit of a drag strip, and someone will die on this road eventually,” warned Brad Waterhouse, 24.

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"A driver, someone walking their dog or a kid on a bike will be killed soon.

Police attend the latest crash on Dalestorth Road, last Sunday, which seriously damaged the BMW belonging to Brad Waterhouse's mum.Police attend the latest crash on Dalestorth Road, last Sunday, which seriously damaged the BMW belonging to Brad Waterhouse's mum.
Police attend the latest crash on Dalestorth Road, last Sunday, which seriously damaged the BMW belonging to Brad Waterhouse's mum.

"It is quite a scary thought, but we feel that is what it will take before the council takes any action.”

Software developer Brad, who is living with his mum and dad at present, added: “This has been an ongoing issue for many years, but it has got worse recently.

The latest crash happened last Sunday afternoon when his mum’s BMW was knocked into a wall by a speeding motorist.

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“And last November, both my car and my dad’s were written off in the same crash,” Brad said.

Another angle of the aftermath of a collision outside Brad Waterhouse's home last November, caused by a speeding, stolen car.Another angle of the aftermath of a collision outside Brad Waterhouse's home last November, caused by a speeding, stolen car.
Another angle of the aftermath of a collision outside Brad Waterhouse's home last November, caused by a speeding, stolen car.

"A group of drunk lads in a stolen car hit mine and pushed it into dad’s. Yes, we get paid out in insurance, but it’s the inconvenience of it all that hurts.

”My dad is a bricklayer, and he has had to rebuild a neighbour’s wall six times over the years because a car has collided with it.”

The frustrated residents feel the installation of sophisticated speed cameras and/or traffic-calming measures, such as speed bumps, would solve the problems.

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“They would slow down the traffic and stop 98 per cent of the accidents,” said another Dalestorth Road resident, Dave Bolton, 45.

"There is a speed camera in the middle of the road, but it just tells you to slow down if you are travelling over the limit of 30mph.

"There is nothing that acts as a deterrent, or actually records things such as number plates.

"Cars fly down here, willy-nilly, at 50 to 60mph, without a care in the world.

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"The road is a racetrack, day and night, and drivers do not stick to the limit.”

About half-a-mile long, the road stretches from the Fox And Crown pub at one end to its junctions with Westdale Avenue and Forest Road at the other.

Residents park on the road either because their driveways are too small or because they don’t have a driveway at all.

They say motorists tend to lose control when negotiating a couple of sharp, dangerous bends. Some of the crashes have been hit-and-runs, with the drivers fleeing.

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"We have lived here for 16 years, and we have had at least 14 accidents due to reckless driving,” added Dave.

"My last two cars have been written off, and we have even had a telephone-line pylon knocked clean out of the ground. The car ended up on its roof, and the driver did a runner.

"The road is just too easy to speed on. It’s getting beyond a joke.”

Gary Wood, head of highways and transport at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We understand the concerns of residents relating to collisions.

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"Our safer highways team monitors all injury-accidents that occur within the county and, thankfully, no such accidents have occurred at Dalestorth Road.

"Works are planned to refresh the road lining, and we will consider whether any further measures are required.”