Motorist, 29, from Basildon, arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after smash in Maidstone Road, Chatham.
Published: 00:01, 04 February 2017
Updated: 09:58, 04 February 2017
A man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after he crashed into a wall and another vehicle yesterday.
The motorist, who has not been named was originally taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries, after the smash on Maidstone Road, Chatham, shortly before noon.
The crash, near the Homebase store, in Horsted Retail Park, resulted in huge delays in the area as traffic almost came to a standstill on roads.
The emergency services were called to the scene near the junction with Shirley Avenue, on Davis Estate and the man, a 29-year-old from Essex was able to get out of his car, a blue Audi convertible himself.
Witnesses say he was seen driving erratically before the smash and had been weaving in and out of traffic before the crash and several motorists left comments online after the news broke of the crash.
Diz Griffin said: “This man flew past me and lots of others driving at high speed on city way weaving in and out of the cars driving on the wrong side of the road at 11. 45am.
“Next I see the car smashed into the wall by Homebase it was lucky he didn’t kill someone.”
Peabug wrote: “He came speeding towards the roundabout on the wrong side of the road to over take the queueing traffic on the correct side of the road which was down to one lane due to roads works.”
“When emergency crews arrived the pulled him from the car and he stood and punched his fists in the air and smiled as though he was a boxer who had just won a fight.
“He flew in the air across the roundabout. He was in a convertible Audi - had he landed on the roof he definitely would not have walked to the ambulance the way he did.”
Others also said the car was travelling on the wrong side of the road when the smash happened and people living in the area said it left the area gridlocked.
A pensioner living in Walderslade reported the crash had caused traffic in the village to come to a standstill and others were stuck on Chatham-bound side of Maidstone Road near the Asda store with traffic going nowhere.
Initially a spokesman for Kent Police said they were called at 11.51am and officers were sent to the scene along with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the South East Coast Ambulance Service, following a report of minor injuries to one man who was then taken to hospital.
Fire crews from the nearby Rochester fire station then made the scene safe.
This morning the police spokesman added: “A 29 year-old man from Basildon in Essex was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and is currently in police custody.”
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Lynn Cox