Shoreham woman and son injured after car crashes

Kerrie Bradshaw, from Shoreham, said she was driving along Southwick Street in Southwick, with her 12-year-old son Alfie when she noticed the "bigger than usual" pothole.

The 46-year-old said she tried to swerve to go around the pothole but her back tyre clipped it, sending her Volkswagen Golf rolling in the air before landing and hitting a stationary car.

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Kerrie told The Argus: "That's the last thing I remember. I'm rolling and rolling in the air a couple of times and then I'm upside down."

After a brief loss of consciousness, Kerrie turned to look at her son to see if he was okay as passers-by rushed to help.

Kerrie and her son managed to free themselves from the vehicle as the paramedics, Sussex Police and the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service arrived.

She told The Argus: "My head was killing me at this point. Me and Alfie both had bad heads. We both felt really sick and dizzy."

Her partner Paul Davies met them at the scene and Kerrie and Alfie were taken to hospital by ambulance after spending two hours at the scene being observed.

Kerrie said they were checked over in A&E before being discharged less than two hours later.

Her partner Mr Davies drove them back to the accident scene that evening to try and gather CCTV footage of the incident from neighbours, however Kerrie said driving down the road made her feel like she was "reliving" it all.

The family also noticed that West Sussex County Council had already filled in the pothole just hours after the crash.

A spokesman for the West Sussex County Council said: “We can confirm that a pothole was filled at the junction with Glebe Close by West Sussex County Council following a call from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. We are unable to comment any further at this time”.

Despite being discharged from hospital, Kerrie and Alfie said they are still in pain following the crash on Monday.

Kerrie told The Argus: "I woke up this morning and it feels like I have been thrown through the windscreen. Everything hurts.

"That accident would not have happened if that pothole wasn't there. We are lucky to be alive."

Paul said he spoke to the council and was told that the pothole had been reported in November last year.

Neighbours in Southwick Street said other people's cars had experienced blown tyres as a result of the pothole.

Steve Guy, who lives in Southwick, said: "I myself have grown very cautious in navigating that part of Southwick Street, and have been one of many who have attempted to highlight the danger to the authority responsible for maintaining the road, West Sussex County Council highways department. 

"This situation has been going on for months now, with no response from the department, but this morning the main offending pothole had been filled in.

"So, if the Highways Department of WSCC can respond as promptly as they have in this instance, and fill in the offending pothole, why can't they deal with the rest of them, and make that part of the road much safer to drive down?

"Unless they do just that, it is not unreasonable to believe that another accident is likely to occur, and that maybe this time the consequences will be much more serious."

Kerrie and Paul also said that the state of other roads across the area, including Kingston Lane, is "another accident waiting to happen".

The council confirmed that some work has already taken place in Kingston Lane, with more scheduled for the summer.

The couple are now in the process of trying to claim for their car which was written-off as a result of the crash.