Motorists experienced long delays this morning (Monday) after the damage caused by a car crashing into a house forced the main road through a town centre to be sealed off.
Firefighters were called to assist at the scene of the collision in Town Street, Thaxted, at around 4.45pm yesterday (Sunday).
The driver of the vehicle, a black VW Golf, was a 53-year-old man from Dunmow. He had got out of the car when fire crews from Thaxted and Dunmow arrived.
The man was treated at the scene for minor injuries and taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge as a precaution.
Damage to the house, which has made a wall “structurally unsafe”, has led to the B184 being closed and diversions put in place.
A woman was in the house at the time and reported hearing a ‘bang’ as the car careered into her dining room, according to a firefighter called to the scene.
Matt Goullée, based at Thaxted Fire Station, said: “Fortunately the woman was in a different room at the time. She heard a ‘bang’ and saw the car in her dining room.
“The main road will be shut quite a while because the side wall of the house is structurally unsafe. It’s been propped up but needs repairing properly.”
One ambulance, an ambulance officer, a rapid response vehicle and the hazardous area response team from the East of England Ambulance Service were all in attendance.
Four units from Essex Fire Service’s Urban Search and Rescue team were ordered to the scene to deal with an unsafe structure following the incident. A local authority structural engineer was also asked to attend.
A spokesman from Essex Police said road closures would remain in place until the car is recovered and the building is made safe. Officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
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