Lucky escape as car overturns

A driver and passenger had an amazing escape when a car overturned on a narrow Black Country street today causing damage to five parked cars.

The men, both estimated to be in their 20s, had freed themselves from the wreckage by the time ambulance crews arrived.

They were assessed at the scene but left after refusing hospital treatment. No-one else was injured but five parked cars in the street were damaged.

The road was also closed off for two hours during busy morning rush hour as emergency crews cleared the scene.

When crews arrived the overturned car's front was right up against a Ford Fiesta. It had also collided with a pink and white Vauxhall Corsa and a Smart car.

The Smart car suffered damage to the front offside corner. The crash also created a 'domino' effect, shunting it backwards into a Fiat Punto, which in turn went into a Saab 93.

Traffic steadily built up around Stourbridge Road and Pensnett Road as the street closure took effect.

John Street is regularly used by motorists as a shortcut to get onto either of the main roads.

Residents today said an accident had been waiting to happen. One, who did not wish to be named, said: "Very few of us have drives so there are always a lot of cars parked on the road.

"It is a narrow street anyway but so many people use it as a cut-through it can sometimes get totally blocked.

"We don't know exactly how the car came to overturn but it is the residents who are now picking up the pieces."

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Murray Macgregor said crews were called to John Street just after 7.15am this morning.

A rapid response vehicle arrived within four minutes backed up by an ambulance and an officer. Incident Support Officer Dave Ashford said: "There were two men estimated to be in their 20s in the Astra."