Achi news desk-
Police have arrested a man after the car veered off the roundabout on Bryans Wall Road in west Belfast on Saturday morning.
Witnesses said the car went out of control as it traveled down the Colinmill Road before going straight across the roundabout, through two fences and flying into the gardens below.
Fence boards, debris and damage littered the gardens of the McDonough and Hartley families in Brainswell Grove, who both had children playing outside at the time.
The aftermath of a west Belfast home after a car crashed into its garden. Image: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph.
The residential area is located below the level of the square and residents said the car became airborne as it drove through the panels and flew past the children.
Mother-of-four Leona Hartley (30) said: “The kids were in the back and I didn’t know if it was a bomb or a truck or what and this car just landed out of nowhere.
“My son was just about to pick up his sister from the trampoline and onto the swing and before he could the car crashed and hit the swing, I was shaking all morning, we were very lucky.
“There was a guy in the car when it pulled up and I got out screaming at him ‘You almost killed my kids!’ And all he could say was ‘sorry’, he barely had a response.
“My little girl had her hands over her ears all morning in shock, the little ones were all terrified, their screams, very lucky no one died.
“I don’t know how someone wasn’t killed, this road is not safe, they should put a proper barrier there, it’s crazy.”
Members of the neighboring McDonagh family echoed their neighbor’s call to improve safety measures in the square.
The aftermath of a west Belfast home after a car crashed into its garden. Image: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph.
They said: “We were in the back garden having a cup of tea and the next thing the car came flying through the fence and over our heads.
“The kids were roaring and screaming, God, it happened so fast we didn’t know what happened until we saw the car in the driveway.
“It hit our dog run as it went through, funnily enough the boys were talking about getting rid of it just before it happened. The police said if it hadn’t hit the dog run it would have crashed into the house.
“The guy was still in the car and everyone thought he was dead but the police came and took him away.”
The PSNI says a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualified by drink or drugs.
A PSNI spokesman said: “Police received a report of a single vehicle traffic collision in the Brians Well Grove area of ​​Dunmurry.
“It was reported that a gray Volkswagen collided with a fence. A 31-year-old man remains in police custody.
“We encourage anyone who witnessed the collision, or anyone who has any information, including dash cam footage, to contact the police on 101 quoting reference 396 of 27/04/24.”
