Skip to content

Car 'explodes' after driver hits roundabout

Jonny Manning
BBC News, North East and Cumbria
Louise Lefevre Black smoke billows from the behind the tree, which the car has crashed in to. The tree stands on a roundabout. Traffic can be seen joining the roundabout on the left. A police car has pulled over at the far side of the roundabout.Louise Lefevre
Two witnesses to the crash pulled over to check no-one was trapped inside

A car "exploded" on a busy roundabout after a driver crashed and hit a tree, a witness has said.

The crash happened at about 09:30 BST at the junction of the A174 and the A1042 near Kirkleatham in Redcar, Teesside.

Louise Lefevre, who was driving nearby and stopped to help, said: "It was absolutely horrendous and then the car exploded."

Cleveland Police said a 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving and aggravated vehicle taking without consent.

Mrs Lefevre said she saw the driver get out of the car following the crash and then she and a lorry driver pulled over to help.

"The lorry driver ran over to check there was no-one else stuck in the car, while I phoned 999," she said.

"He came back over to me and said no-one else was in the car, then all of a sudden we saw the flames."

Louise Lefevre The white car on the roundabout. It has hit a tree, which is damaged. The car is also badly damaged. It is covered in black scorch marks and its windows are smashed.Louise Lefevre
Mrs Lefevre said steam started coming out of the car and then it caught fire

Mrs Lefevre said the car also hit an ironwork sculpture of a stag, which stands on the roundabout.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said officers arrested a man who was found nearby.

The roundabout was initially closed to traffic but has since reopened.

Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

Related internet links