Family forced to evacuate home in Bovingdon after delivery

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Family forced to evacuate home in Bovingdon after delivery van got wedged under archway

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A family has been forced to evacuate their home in Bovingdon this Christmas after a delivery van drove into a house.

At 10.55am on Saturday a white Mercedes van belonging to Parcel Force got stuck under an archway by Archway Surgery in Bovingdon High Street. Two fire engines and police were called to the scene.

Above and next to the arch are residential homes, and before the incident happened a mother and her three children, including two nine-month-old twins, had been eating their breakfast in their living room above the archway.

No one was hurt, but extensive damage was caused to the house, so much that the family were evacuated and told they were unable to return until after Christmas.

Next door neighbour Alan Wilson said: "I was in my house when the incident happened and I heard what sounded like an explosion. The driver was shaken up.

"There's a car park at the back through the archway, and our cars are stuck there. It's pure inconvenience.

"The Parcel Force delivery driver had taken the wrong turning, turned around and went through, knocking out a two and a half tonne concrete beam.

"Thank goodness nobody was hurt. I feel sorry for the mother with her three children, including her twins, being made homeless in the Christmas week."

Patients of Archway Surgery, which is immediately left of the surgery, will be unable to access the surgery from the front drive, due to the archway being deemed unsafe.

A gap in the hedge at the front of the surgery has been made to provide temporary access to the surgery via the alley down the right side of the building.

Staff will be available outside to help patients with mobility problems and alternate arrangmenets are in place for patients needing to be seen who are unable to access the building in this way.

Sally Hopkins, from Parcelforce Worldwide, said: “We can confirm that a Parcelforce Worldwide delivery driver was involved in an accident in Bovingdon, near Hemel Hempstead, on Saturday that resulted in damage to a property.


"Fortunately no-one was injured. We would like to apologise to the residents of the property and their neighbours. We are urgently investigating this incident and are in contact with the residents to discuss repairs to their property.”

[Lounge Lizard]

"a white Mercedes van belonging to Parcel Force"
More likely a white Mercedes van hired by Parcel Force.

[dvbuk55]

"a white Mercedes van belonging to Parcel Force"
More likely a white Mercedes van hired by Parcel Force.

Or he was self employed working for Parcelforce.

[DB1100]

I wonder if they had the height marked on it?,probably the same height as an ambulance

[dvbuk55]

I don't know if they still have them but there was a hire firm where I live that did Luton vans for removals. Not 200 yards from the vehicle hire place was a railway bridge with a height restriction, not only was it on the dash but when hiring they categorically stipulated NOT to go under it - of course some people just didn't take it in and regularly drove under it and ripped the top off.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

It must be a new game - City Link this time.

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Damages claim from householder after runaway van chaos in Tycoch


Francesca, Nick and Karen Gaylor at their home in Tycoch, Swansea, where a runaway van hit the wall.


A VAN careered down a hill outside a school after the driver parked up, it was claimed.

The vehicle ended up smashing into a wall fronting on to a house and is also thought to have written off a family 4x4 in the process.

Now the householder is trying to get a settlement for the damage caused.

Nick Gaylor said he was relieved that no one was injured or even killed by the runaway van, but is now pursuing the company which operates it.

The drama happened on the Llwymawr Road hill in Tycoch minutes after pupils had finished arriving at Sketty Primary School at the start of the day.

Mr Gaylor, who lives with his family at the bottom of that section of the hill, said the van at the centre of the incident was being driven by a man from courier service City Link in Swansea.

“He parked on double yellow lines opposite Sketty Primary School at 9.05am to deliver something,” he said.

“My wife had just come back in one of our cars and parked on the drive. I was in the house and heard a big bang. I thought the washing machine had blown up.

“The van had gone 40 metres down the hill into our wall.”

That was reduced to rubble and Mr Gaylor said the other family vehicle, a 19-year-old Ford Maverick 4x4, was likely to be a write-off.

“We bought it to do it up, but have been told it will be written off,” he said.

That vehicle has not been able to be moved since. Mr Gaylor said the only movement from the accident scene had been a slab of the wall lifted forward two metres by three City Link employees. Swansea. He is now pursuing a claim for damages against the company, which was unavailable for comment.

[dvbuk55]

Lucky the Maverick was written off Course City Link might want their insurers to take a look at it too.