‘We’re worried’: Safety review called for after second Hull City star crashes car near training ground
CRASH: Lucas Gourna-Douath’s Mercedes on its side in Millhouse Woods Lane this morning. Picture: Paul Nickerson
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
A councillor has called for an “urgent” safety review of the road leading to Hull City’s training ground after a second Tigers star overturned their car on the narrow residential street in three weeks.
French midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath, 23, walked away unhurt after flipping his black Mercedes onto its side in Millhouse Woods Lane, Cottingham, at about 8.30am today.
On September 11, fellow new signing Sorba Thomas, 27, also emerged unscathed after an even more dramatic accident in the same road that left his beige Land Rover on its roof with its rear end in a hedge.
Councillor Phil Redshaw, East Riding Council member for Cottingham North, told The Hull Story: “I have been in contact with the Traffic Management team at the council and asked them to conduct an urgent safety review. We have now had two incidents on the same stretch of road in three weeks.
“There’s clear safety concerns and as yet nobody has been clear as to what the exact cause is. On the first incident there’s a suggestion it may have been the car hitting the curb or a tyre sticking out from a parked car.
“I’ve asked for a full safety review and a timeline of when we might get some answers. I’ve also asked what options there are so we can mitigate further incidents. I have also been in contact with the police asking them to do some further visits checking whether people are driving with due care and attention.”
CONCERN: The car lying across the pavement. Picture: Paul Nickerson
He added: “Three years ago near the cut-through to Linden Avenue I had some pedestrian figures painted on the pavement and I’ve recently asked for these to be repainted.”
Resident Paul Nickerson, 48, said his wife had just walked their children to school along Millhouse Woods Lane before this morning’s crash.
He was working in his office when he “heard a bit of noise and I thought it was some sort of crash”.
He went out and spoke to Gourna-Douath as he was being assisted by another resident.
Mr Nickerson said: “A resident had just helped the player out of the car. My first thought was ‘I hope he’s alright’. I talked to him and he said he was only doing 15mph.
“It’s interesting the two incidents involve new players who are new to the road. I just think someone needs to take them aside and say this is a hazard.”
THREE WEEKS AGO: Sorba Thomas’s Land Rover in Millhouse Woods Lane
Mr Nickerson said he had asked Councillor Redshaw to organise a residents’ meeting about the issue.
He added: “A lot of residents are upset and worried and came out to express that view. My wife was walking the kids to school just before this happened. The players are going in at the same time the kids are going to school so it is a worry.”
Despite the incidents Mr Nickerson said City were “great neighbours” and most residents are fans.
He said: “The players have all given autographs to my children. I would say 99 per cent of people here are fans – everyone supports them – and we’ll be going to the Everton game” [next home match on October 11].
The club said in a statement: “Hull City is aware of images circulating on social media following a road traffic accident near the club’s training ground and can confirm that no one was harmed in the incident.”
A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said: “Officers and emergency services were called to reports of a single vehicle road traffic collision on Millhouse Woods Lane in Cottingham at around 8.30am this morning. Thankfully, no one was injured as a result of the collision.”