Man dies after Bristol road crash
A man has died after the car he was driving crashed into an electricity pole and overturned near Bristol.
The accident happened at about 2.45am this morning in Blackhorse Road, Mangotsfield.
Police and ambulance crews were called to the scene and the driver, who is understood to be local, was initially treated by paramedics.
The road was closed while the incident was dealt with and the man was taken to hospital. Police said he later died of his injuries.
It is not clear whether the man was alone in the car, which ended up on its roof, or whether he had a passenger.
Electricity engineers were called to the scene by police because of concerns over the condition of the pole.
Sharon Cross, spokeswoman for Western Power Distribution, said power supplies had not been cut off when the accident happened but engineers disconnected power to 26 properties while they carried out repairs.
She said: "Supplies were switched off at about 5.20am and restored just before 7.15am. As well as Blackhorse Road, some customers in Jubilee Crescent were also affected."
Blackhorse Road resident Chris Harris, 73, a retired teacher, said he and his wife, Linda, were woken up by the sound of vehicles outside at about 5am.
He said: "We hadn't heard the accident itself but could hear the engines of the vehicles of the electricity engineers who had arrived at about 5am to do the repairs.
"At that time the police were in attendance because the road was closed but I couldn't see any ambulance. Later the fire brigade came along to wash down the road.
"A recovery vehicle also arrived later on to take the car away.
"It's very sad to know that someone has died. The car was on its roof so must have overturned after hitting the pole."
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by anon, private
Sunday, November 22 2009, 7:20PM
“for all you ignorants it was not a boy racer, it was an honest, hard working man who had been to a family emergency and had a heart attack on the way home”
by Owen "Mike Ford" sayer, North Bristol
Saturday, November 21 2009, 7:15PM
“Fortunately "Mike Fraud" can't be here to call everyone a racist and demean this sad loss of life. R.I.P. "Mike Ford"”
by tony, mangotsfield
Saturday, November 21 2009, 3:43PM
“I would be interested to know who it was so I could pay my respects. I know a lot of locals but not many know anything about it, even residents on Jubilee who had their power cut. I had to drive around the diversion but could only see police and later fire engine to clean the road. No one has even put up any flowers for the man at the electricity pole, so I might just do so myself. So if any one knows who it is, can you let us know please, thanks.”
by Mary, Mangotsfield
Saturday, November 21 2009, 1:33PM
“We were awoken by something which sounded like the bin men collecting. With that sound came an almighty flash and fork of electricity across the bedroom window. It was about 2.30 am. I looked out of the window but all seemed calm. A few minutes later, on hearing voices outside I saw that several (8) police cars and an ambulance had arrived outside our neighbours house 2 doors along. The vehicle couldn't be seen from the bedroom window. Ambulance crew and police were trying to extract the passenger from the car. Shortly afterwards a fire appliance arrived. The road was closed off to traffic. Neighbours returned to bed. On waking to the sound of the door bell turning on again at around 7.30am I could see the police still in evidence but packing up to leave. The road had been hosed and the telegraph pole repaired. By 8.30am all was back to normal on the road. It's sad that someone lt was hurt so badly that they died.”
by Sally, Bristol
Friday, November 20 2009, 5:41PM
“I still not seen or heard any more on this story....it's so very sad, another life gone”
by John, Frenchay
Friday, November 20 2009, 3:27PM
“A dreadful tragedy. My thoughts are with the family.
(How nice not to have on here the tasteless and pointlessly antagonistic comments we have had to endure recently. Well done BEP for putting a stop to this. My faith in you is restored.)”
by Lee, Hartcliffe
Friday, November 20 2009, 3:25PM
“You never know, at 2:45am it could have been something as simple as falling asleep at the wheel.
Only thing confusing me is this is the second accident involving someone driving into an electricity pole in the space of a month. Unfortunately this poor bloke wasn't as lucky as the one who did it beforehand.”
by Louise, Bristol
Friday, November 20 2009, 3:11PM
“I think its a bit harsh for people to be making judgements on this before all the facts are known! Who said it was a boy racer? And Sandra, if conditions are bad and a car's tyre tread isn't 100%, you will be surprised how easy it is to momentarilly lose control of a vehicle. We shouldn't be making any assumptions about speed/age until these things have been confirmed. My sympathies to the family and loved ones of this man.”
by t bristol, bristol
Friday, November 20 2009, 2:48PM
“the police have said it was a 60yr old man who was killed, not a boy racer.”
by Fatboyronaldo, Bristol
Friday, November 20 2009, 2:15PM
“Sorry someone got killed but drivers treat this road like a racetrack. This has to be one of the fastest stretches of road in Bristol yet the council has done NOTHING to slow down the boy racers. There are speed bumps and traffic slowing measures everywhere else in the Mangotsfield/Emersons Green area but amazingly nothing on this road. Don¿t even know if speed was a factor in this accident but it was only a matter of time before someone lost control of their car on this deceptive stretch of road and got killed.”