Girl rescued as runaway car rolls through busy Gower campsite
HOLIDAYMAKERS have had a “lucky escape” after a runaway car with a young child on board rolled through a campsite and tumbled down a bank.
It is understood a family were packing their Vauxhall people carrier after a stay at the Three Cliffs Holiday Park in Gower when their daughter released the handbrake, sending the vehicle down the sloping field.
The parents were able to pluck the 15-month-old passenger to safety but could not stop the car from running down through the camping field, hitting a large stone and flipping on to its roof as it tumbled down a bank beyond.
The girl was later taken to hospital as a precaution, but police said she was uninjured.
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One camper who saw the drama in the field unfold said: “I heard a commotion outside and looked out of the tent.
“I could see the car going down the field and thought to myself ‘that’s a stupid way to drive’ but then I could see there was nobody driving.
“It is lucky the car didn’t hit any of the tents — people had a lucky escape.”
The incident happened at around 9.20am on Saturday on the Penmaen site, prompting a response from the police, fire service, and an RNLI coastguard team.
It is understood the car had been parked pointing down the slope as the family were putting their camping gear in the boot, and that it travelled around 200 yards before crashing.
A South Wales Police spokesman said: “A family were packing their tent when it appears a child released the handbrake.
“The child was removed from the vehicle and the vehicle proceeded across the field, hit a boundary wall at the end of the field, overturned and continued down the bank.”
Fire crews from Reynoldston and Swansea West stations were called to the incident, and a spokesman said officers were on hand to provide first aid and to make the crashed car safe.
The Oxwich RNLI coastguard team was also scrambled, after initial, erroneous, reports that a vehicle had rolled down the bank and into Three Cliffs Bay.
The car was later recovered from shrubs in the ditch.
Tom Beynon, a director of the Three Cliffs park, said: “The most important thing is the little girl is okay and nobody was hurt — cars can be replaced.
“The parents were a bit shaken-up by it, but they are okay. The little girl didn’t really understand what had happened.
“We advise people to park across the slope where possible.”
jason.evans@swwmedia.co.uk
01792 514605
Comments
by siarad2
Monday, September 03 2012, 7:48PM
“@Uncle_Bryn
You failed to read correctly, it would have turned to a stop as the steering is locked on modern cars.”
by maxmin
Monday, September 03 2012, 4:47PM
“I think Siarad's post says it all really.”
by Dan01
Monday, September 03 2012, 3:35PM
“Thank heavens nobody got injured. These things can happen to anyone, however careful we may try to be at all times. "Illuc irem nisi gratiam Dei haberem"”
by Uncle_Bryn
Monday, September 03 2012, 2:13PM
“siarad2 totally agree with what you say and it's definitely good practice to do this when parking your car, but seeing as it was a field they were in your second point about turning the wheels to the kerb wouldn't have worked in this case.”
by siarad2
Monday, September 03 2012, 2:08PM
“@clarysage50
Some Vauxhall cars are noted for self-releasing their handbrakes, it happened to a neighbour of my sister.
http://tinyurl.com/coz3kqz”
by TheMatthew
Monday, September 03 2012, 1:51PM
“The Evening Post is prone to exaggeration. Last year they reported the case fo a teenage girl who ended up in hospital having her stomach pumped after binge drinking in a park. They listed what she had (allegedly) consumed. Based on a simple calculation of the strength of vodca and beer, it would have been equivalent to consuming the alcohol in 43 pints of beer. Errrr, yeah ok :)”
by clarysage50
Monday, September 03 2012, 12:45PM
“What a very naughty little girl (if the account is accurate).....parents need to take more control particularly parking, loading and unloading cars. Thankfully there were no serious injuries or even fatalities.”
by Stork
Monday, September 03 2012, 12:31PM
“This story is a bit confusing. Was the vehicle handbrake released by a 15 month old child ? A future British Team Olympic weightlifter ? If so, I've never heard of that before.
I trust the camp site took a photograph of the upside down car. They could then place that photograph in several prominent positions, to warn campers on how not to park their vehicles.”
by TheMatthew
Monday, September 03 2012, 10:15AM
“Ditto siarad2's comment......I always leave my car in gear too when parked.”
by siarad2
Monday, September 03 2012, 9:26AM
“Changing from motorbikes to cars in 1962 I've always parked with both handbrake & engine in gear, it was what people did in those days. Further the highway code says when on a slope turn your wheels across the slope into the pavement. Had either of these been done the car wouldn't have run away, either not moving or turning to a stop.
This is a recurring problem but people don't learn, a child died not long ago.
Parking in gear has become more important since the introduction of disc brakes about 1962 which loosen on cooling unlike drum brakes which tighten.”