A MAN has been arrested after a crash that caused a pick-up truck to smash through the front door of a house.

A silver Mitsubishi left the road and slammed into the house after striking a green Audi A3 travelling in front of it in Poole Street, Great Yeldham, at about 7.20pm on Friday.

A 23-year-old man from Halstead was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving.

Homeowner Jo Williams, 48, was upstairs at the time.

She said: “At first I didn’t think something had hit the house. There was a noise and the dogs started barking but I thought maybe something had fallen over in the kitchen.

“I looked out and could see indicator lights in the garden. As I came down there was a massive great cloud of dust.

“Just as I got to the front door, there was no front door. There was a car.

“There was debris everywhere. The hooter was going and there were lots of people milling around. There was shouting because one of men was quite badly injured.”

Halstead Gazette:

                             The front of the car came to rest in the downstairs bathroom

Jo's husband, businessman Steve Williams, 46, was in Scotland at the time and immediately headed back when he heard the news.

He said: “It’s only luck that she isn’t dead, if she had been stood behind that door, she would be.

“People are relentlessly speeding out there. It’s 40mph but you get cars coming through doing double that speed.

“Unless something is done, someone will die on this road.

“I’m just over the moon that my wife and dogs are alright. I sincerely hope the people injured in the crash are alright.”

Halstead Gazette:

                                     Homeowner Steve Williams surveys the damage

Following the crash, the Audi driver left the scene, sparking a manhunt involving the police helicopter.

 

 

 

 

The man later turned up at Braintree police station and was taken to hospital.

The road was closed until about midnight while the cars were removed and the fire service put metal poles in place to support the timber frames of the 500-year-old house.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Two men aged in their 20s sustained serious but not life-threatening or life-changing injuries, for which they continue to receive hospital treatment.

“A 23-year-old man from Halstead has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving causing serious injury.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Chelmsford Roads Policing Unit on 101.

He has been released on police bail until January 11.