A man who suffered several injuries after a crash in which the driver made off has thanked those who came to help him.

Emergency services were called to Wykeham Street, Strood, shortly after 10.30pm on Friday night after a Vauxhall Tigra convertible collided with a number of parked cars.

Tony Boardman, 41, who lives in nearby Brompton Lane, had popped to the shop when he was offered a lift home.

Mr Boardman, a jeweller, had only been in the car for a short time when it flipped over.

Despite suffering a fractured skull, broken collarbone and ribs, and cuts and grazes to his head, Mr Boardman is already out of hospital, although is unable to work for a while.

Speaking exclusively to the Medway Messenger, Mr Boardman said: “I was just catching a lift back from the shop.

“I had only been in the car for a minute or so and it seemed like we had only driven up the road about 10 yards when all I remember is thinking ‘we’ve just clipped a wing mirror’.

“The next thing I knew I was upside down in the car and that’s all I remember.

“I was totally knocked out and people have told me afterwards I was out for about 20 minutes.

“I was taken to King’s (College Hospital) and I’ve got a fractured skull. They were worried about the bleeding at first.

“I am in a lot of pain and my phone was smashed up during the collision.

“I would just like to thank the people who came and helped me.”

Aston Daws, who runs a recruitment agency, ran out of his house and took the keys out of the ignition as the car was smoking.

The smash closed the road at its junction with North Street while paramedics, police and firefighters worked.

One young man, who lives in the street but did not want to be named, said: “There was just this big bang and the car completely flipped over.

“I got some scratches on my van and we could see the helicopter was up overhead.”

Patricia Middleton, 80, was woken by the crash.

She said: “I thought it was a bomb or a bolt of lightning coming down.

“I was quite frightened and thought ‘what’s happening?’ I looked out of my bedroom window and saw the car upside down. It was lucky no one was killed.

“I was awake for some time afterwards and when I finally did get to sleep for a few hours, the recovery truck came to pick up the car about 3.30am.”

Up to four cars, including a Fiat and a BMW were damaged.

Another woman, who did not want to be named, said: “He was hanging upside down by his seat belt and there was blood coming from his head when I went out to see what had happened.”

Mick Barns, 73, who has lived in the road for more than 40 years, said it is not the first crash to happen there.

Mr Barns said: “A neighbour helped the guy out of the car and I came in and got a blanket and put it round him.

“He was bleeding from his head. He was lucky it was a convertible and not a hard-top as I don’t think he would have got out otherwise.

“It was a fair-headed man in a whitish top and light coloured trousers running down the road afterwards.

“We’ve had several accidents in the road, especially at the junction with Martin Street.”

Police confirmed another man, believed to be the driver, is being hunted by officers after making off from the scene.

A police spokesman said: “Officers received a report of a single-vehicle collision.

“A number of parked cars have reported damage as a result of the collision and inquiries are ongoing.”