'Traumatised' family say house needs protection after double crash

A family from Stourbridge is calling on Dudley Council to implement urgent road safety measures after two serious crashes near their home.

The family says they are living in fear and struggling to sleep due to the ongoing danger posed by speeding vehicles on the bend where they live.

The first crash, which happened in July last year, caused significant damage to the front of their house.

Wendy Skelding described the terrifying moment: “My daughter was in the kitchen when the car came off the bend and crashed into the house.

"If my grandchildren had been in the living room, it could have been much worse.”

Most recently, another vehicle crashed into the family’s parked car on the same road leaving it impossible to drive.

The family car was hit while parked outside of the house last week.

Despite the family’s concerns, Dudley Council has stated that it does not plan to introduce further traffic calming measures on Hayes Lane.

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for environment and highways, noted: “We are aware of the incidents and are in contact with the residents.

"We undertook a 7-day speed survey, which showed that the majority of vehicles were within 31.9mph, within tolerance for the 30mph speed limit."

He added, “There are already road markings advising drivers to slow down, and the road surface has been treated to help drivers maintain control on this gradient.

"Given the available data, there are no current plans to introduce additional measures.”

Wendy and her grandson Jenson

However, the Skelding family remains concerned that the road remains dangerous, particularly for pedestrians and nearby residents.

Wendy Skelding voiced the family’s ongoing fears: “It’s terrifying living here. Every night we worry about the next crash.”

The council has stated that while speed enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the police, they are working closely with local policing teams to identify persistent speeding offenders.

Meanwhile, the Skelding family continues to press for bollards or flashing signs to prevent further accidents and avoid future tragedies.