“It won’t stop us,” a landlady has vowed after a car jumped a river and ploughed into the garden of a Forest pub closed for flood damage repairs.
This was the second crash outside The Woolpack within as many months, and the latest of multiple incidents over the years.
The car cleared Sopley Brook, off Ringwood Road, before crashing into the pub garden outside The Woolpack (picture: Barbara Smith)The crash left the right-hand side of the pub garden littered with brick, wood and bits of car (picture: Barbara Smith)The Woolpack landlady Barbara Smith was determined that the latest crash would not delay the pub’s reopening
Two people reportedly fled the scene after the silver Renault Megane careered off the B3347 Ringwood Road shortly before 4am on Monday.
Investigations led officers to an address in Bournemouth, where they arrested two local 21-year-old men.
One was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs, drug-driving, and dangerous driving. He was later released under investigation.
Officers had arrested the other on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink, driving while unfit through drugs, drug-driving and dangerous driving. But he was later released with no further action.
As reported in the A&T, part of Coronation Bridge, which runs over Sopley Brook, was demolished when a car smashed into it and plunged into the water below on 22nd March.
A car plunged into Sopley Brook after partially demolishing Coronation Bridge on 22nd March (picture: Barbara Smith)The latest crash demolished the tables and chairs in the pub garden (picture: Barbara Smith)A crane lifted the wrecked car out of the pub garden on Monday morning (picture: Barbara Smith)
The occupant fled the scene, and a Hampshire police spokesperson confirmed this week no arrests had been made.
Barbara Smith, who has run The Woolpack since last December, believes a plastic barrier covering the missing section of bridge helped the car clear the brook on Monday.
“The car’s gone through the barrier and done a Dukes of Hazard across the brook and landed in the pub garden,” she told the A&T.
“It literally landed within an inch of the pub and just clipped the side of an extraction fan. It’s madness!
“It’s taken out the fence that was alongside the brook in the garden and two sets of wooden tables and chairs on brick bases.
“The whole right side of the garden is covered in bricks, glass and bits of car.
“Goodness knows what speed they must have been travelling to do the damage they did.”
Previously describing the stretch of road outside the 300-year-old pub as “an awkward T-junction”, Barbara called for warning signs in a bid to slow down drivers.
Numerous incidents over the years included four within a month in 2015, and a car landing upside down in Sopley Brook.
The Woolpack has been shut since late January after what Barbara understood was the worst flooding villagers had seen in their lifetimes. The damage to the interior had been exacerbated by contaminated floodwater.
But Barbara was determined that the latest crash would not further delay continuing repairs and refurbishment. The Woolpack is currently expected to reopen around mid-June.
“I don’t see it putting us back any further, thank goodness,” she continued.
“We’ve got to get contractors in to re-fence the brook to make it safe for our customers.”
The landlady shared images of the latest crash’s aftermath and a video of a crane lifting the car out of the garden on The Woolpack’s Facebook page, with the words “Oh no… not again!”
People took to the comments to express their frustration at another crash at that spot and call for measures to be taken.
“That’s outrageous,” one wrote. “Does someone need to die before the authorities do something about this road?
“After everything nature has thrown at The Woolpack this year, now coping with idiot drivers as well!”
The Woolpack has been closed since sustaining damage from flooding in JanuarySome of the interior damage caused when the pub was flooded during a storm in January
Praising the support from customers and locals, Barbara concluded: “It’s gutting to have this happen again out the front, but it won’t stop us getting the pub open again.
“We’re the hub of the community – there’s only us, the church, and the old mill in the village.”
Anyone with information should get in touch with officers online via hampshire.police.uk or call 101, quoting reference 44260208510.
Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously via crimestoppers-uk.org or on 0800 555 111.
Comments are closed.