Residents’ calls for action after latest crash on busy Hartlepool estate road

Vehicle crashes into garage in Thistle Close, off Merlin Way, Hartlepool. Damage to the property.

The Bishop Cuthbert, Clavering and Hartfields Residents’ Association is appealing to police to help improve safety on Merlin Way.

It follows a number of accidents and collisions on the Bishop Cuthbert road in recent years.

Vehicle crashed into garage in Thistle Close, off Merlin Way, Hartlepool. Damage to the property.

The latest saw a car crash through a set of metal railings and into a garage last Friday at around 10.40pm.

Emergency services, including Cleveland Fire Brigade, were called to the incident just before 11.25pm.

There were no reports of any injuries.

Police have confirmed a 31-year-old man was arrested a short time later on suspicion of driving whilst unfit through drink, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and dangerous driving.

He has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.

The residents’ group has raised road safety issues with Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger.

They have contacted him again following Friday night’s incident.

While police stress it is not known if speed played a factor in the latest crash, the residents want to run Community Speedwatch in the area.

It is a national initiative where members of local communities join with the support of the police to monitor speeds.

A spokesperson for the residents’ group said: “This is the second accident on Merlin Way this year.

“We need to look at how people drive, first through Speedwatch, and from that gather data and the local authority and police need to come up with a strategic plan to manage the road, particularly the long stretch that leads to where the accident was.

“I know it happened at night but it is a public thoroughfare for people walking dogs and taking children to school.

“There has been a head on collision on the same stretch of road and a couple of near misses.

“How many crashes does it take before people start thinking we need to see what we can do?”

Cleveland Police said Mr Coppinger forwarded residents’ concerns to the senior police officer responsible for policing in Hartlepool.

Merlin Way has seen a series of accidents in recent years.

In October 2015, a woman was hurt in a two-car crash and in February 2014, a vehicle crashed into Trevor Jones’ Transit van parked outside his house before leaving the scene.

And in March last year, a vehicle mounted the grass verge smashing into Scott Mincher’s stationary VW Scirocco shunting it forward about 20ft.