Three parked cars were ‘written off’ last night (December 27) when they were hit by a vehicle in Birchington.
The cars were severely damaged in Park Lane at around 5.45pm. The vehicle that collided with them also suffered major damage.
Kent Police attended the incident and enquiries are ongoing.
Resident Marie Simmons is one of those whose car was smashed in the collision.
She said: “I have a 78 year old husband who has dementia and health issues and now no transport in an emergency. It’s our lifeline.
“It means I won’t be picking up our grandchildren and won’t be able to run them home. It is just the total stress of it.
“I had my drive widened as school times are a nightmare to find parking on street and it is not that I believe I have a right to park outside my house, just that inconsiderate people park either side of the drive more often than not.
“Driving out of the drive is quite scary when drivers don’t adhere to speed limit. I would normally have parked on the drive but unfortunately I didn’t last night.
“I’m still waiting for my insurance company to reply to me. It’s just something that needn’t have happened.”
Birchington councillor Phil Fellows said he and fellow ward councillors are trying to find a solution to erratic “driving in Park Lane/Quex/Brunswick area.”
He added: “I have submitted a motion to Birchington Parish Council to get them to request KCC to immediately implement traffic restrictions at the Brunswick/Park Lane junctions. This is after recent multi car collisions at this dangerous turning.
“But we have to be realistic in what’s achievable here. We are all well aware of the current financial strife that KCC are in. Expensive schemes are not going to happen full stop.
“It’s easy for everyone to say put chicanes in and humps and bumps but firstly we need to get KCC to admit there is an issue which they seem reluctant to do as it will cost them money. We have to try to see if we can get some easy low-cost fixes and move up from there.
“Doing nothing is not an option. It’s been talked about far too many times. It really is time for action before we see a fatality here.
“My motion is: ‘I ask my fellow Parish councillors to support BPC in a request to KCC that they immediately explore traffic calming measures in Park Lane Birchington. At a minimum this should be a 20 mph speed limit approaching the Brunswick Road junction.’
“It maybe necessary to ask for public support in due course by way of petitions.”
Police enquiries
A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police was called at 5.45pm on Wednesday 27 December to a report of a collision involving a car and a number of parked cars on Park Lane, Birchington.
“Officers attended and enquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing.
The road remained open and there were no reported injuries.”
