Elderly woman taken to hospital after car hits wall in Hartlepool

Kevin Hoad was celebrating his son Bradley’s 16th birthday in King John’s Tavern, today, with his ex-partner, Maxine, when she was alerted by a message from a friend of a smash outside their homes.

The couple, who live next door to each other, left the pub only to find police and firefighters had cordoned off the area outside their properties in Thornton Street after a Vauxhall Corsa had ploughed into Kevin’s home.

The impact of the smash, which happened at 3pm, destroyed the front wall and fence and also caused damage to the structure to the home.

The woman driver, who is in her 80s, was taken to North Tees Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Mr Hoad, 50, said: “Maxine arrived first and when I came round the corner I saw the police had sealed off the area.

“We weren’t in the house at the time, but if we had been, who knows what would have happened.

“We just hope the lady is okay.”

After police and firefighters removed the car, the full scale of the damage could be seen.

Neighbour Don Vaughan, who had been with the couple celebrating their son’s birthday, has been helping Mr Hoad clear some of the rubble.

Mrs Hoad said: “We were just sitting having something to eat when my friend sent me a message on Facebook about the crash.

“I ran straight round and saw all the police and the car.

“The wall out the front has taken most of the impact, but if it wasn’t there then the front of the house might have come down.

“My friend has had to wedge the door to be able to get in and out.

“We were told it was an elderly woman who was driving.

“We are just glad no-one was seriously hurt and the lady is okay, as any other time there would have been people in the house and in the street outside.”

An ambulance spokesman confirmed a woman had been taken to North Tees Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”