Driver escapes from wreckage
12:37pm Wednesday 16th July 2008
A MAN was rescued from his car by members of the fire service after his white N-reg Ford saloon collided with a lamppost and damaged the wall of a hotel.
The driver, 47, from the Chepstow area, received minor injuries. He was taken, wearing a neck brace, to the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport where he was treated by medical staff and underwent a routine alcohol blood test.
Gwent Police yesterday confirmed that the man had since recovered and been released from hospital. No arrests have been made but an investigation into the incident is ongoing pending the blood test results.
The collision happened outside The Chepstow Hotel at the Newport Road and Larkfield Park junction, at 9.10pm on Sunday.
It is thought that the car struck a small traffic island, or the kerb, flipping it over onto its roof. No other vehicles were involved.
Naomi Hall, manager of The Chepstow Hotel, witnessed the incident.
She said: "The car looked like a write-off and the man looked like he had hurt his neck. It took about 10 minutes to get him out."
Another eyewitness, who did not wish to be named but kindly supplied the Free Press with our exclusive photographs, said: "I was in my house when I heard a thud, followed by the sound of braking glass.
"Initially I thought it was a garage door slamming shut, but when I looked out of my living room window I saw that the lamppost was crooked. I went upstairs, from where I could see that a car was on its roof outside the hotel.
"Within minutes police and the fire service were there, and appeared to be helping the driver with his injuries."
He added: "Within another five minutes, a group of youths had gathered. They were on their mobiles and moments later a gang of more youths arrived on mopeds to see what had happened."
Police quickly cordoned off the vicinity and created a temporary diversion, redirecting traffic behind the hotel and back along Hardwick Hill.
Phylip Hobson, Monmouthshire County Cllr for the Larkfield ward, said: "Thank God nobody was seriously injured or killed."